Food-with-Tea or Post-meal Cup: your pick?

A sip after a couple of bites, more as you start chewing and swallowing more and always scope for one more half-serve - these are the typical traits of folks who should have a cup of tea accompanying their meal. Mostly seen at dining tables, I have seen many people who just cannot wrap-up their luncheon without sipping tea throughout the meal's journey, from the start of the meal to its grand ending. When I queried about this culture, it turned out that many were in the habit of pushing the bites down the food pipe via the hot beverage. Others just had this habit as their throats were rather sensitive and teas pacified any type of irritation. There is another consumer demographic here, i.e. folks who drink tea along with major meals as a means to suppress their hunger. In some way, this is a dieting habit I believe and I can understand the logic.

You might have heard a lot of people talking about drinking-up water en route to the biggest meals of the day. Tea, when had in moderation, prior to and during the meal has a similar effect. It boosts that feeling of fullness. How tea happens to ring the right bells of satiety nerve endings is not something I can comment upon but it does get the job done. There is also a small community of folks who drink overtly sweetened but very small amount of tea to sum-up, conclude their meal, using the beverage as a means to kill the need to answer sweet tooth cravings. Overall, most people who have the habit of tea-ing during their meals accomplish some goals, most of which are about health and wellness. What is your big reason for having tea along with a meal or immediately after cleaning the platter?