There was a book or TV program that I read /saw a year or two ago that suggested that the British Empire developed because of the health benefits of drinking tea.
IIRC, there was a limit on the size of settlements (towns /cities) for health reasons - above a certain size the prevalence of disease in crowded conditions meant that the settlement could not grow sustainably. Once tea drinking became commonplace, people were healthier and more resistant to disease, so settlements could grow larger and be able to support manufacturing industries, hence the development of the Empire.
Not sure if this would be regarded as a good thing nowadays, as many bushcraft types may feel that a more agricultural /small village based society would be preferable, but that is probably a discussion for another thread, or even another forum!
Geoff
