Arsenic & Old Lace is celebrating the Seventh Annual National Iced Tea Month.  Being in the south, iced tea is really taken for granted.  However, iced tea was created in America nearly 100 years ago, so perhaps it’s only fitting that ours is the only country where the majority of tea is enjoyed cold. In fact, iced tea was invented because visitors to the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair were not interested in drinking hot tea on a hot day … so quick-thinking English tea merchant Richard Blechynden added ice, and the rest is history.  

There are many benefits to drinking iced tea, in addition to just tasting great! 

• Tea has naturally occurring plant compounds that may play a role in helping the body fight certain cancers, assist with cholesterol, and support a healthy immune system.
• Black and green have stronger antioxidant properties than many fruits and vegetables.  Antioxidants assist in limiting the development of chronic illnesses as cancer of heart disease.
• Tea contains approximately the same amount of fluoride as fluoridated water and may help support healthy tooth enamel.
• Lastly, drinking tea plays a significant role in maintaining fluid balance, which is crucial for normal body function. 

 Have you had your iced tea today?