Tea Types, Differences, and Health Benefits

There are many health benefits to a daily cup of tea and the benefits seem to be as numerous and variable as the teas themselves. In fact tea is reported to do everything from reducing the risk of cancer, to helping you lose weight.

Different studies have shown drinking tea to aid in or prevent a variety of health conditions. These benefits included, but were not limited to:

• Lowering blood pressure
• Protecting against many forms of cancer
• High cholesterol
• Heart disease
• Hypertension

It may be a little confusing. Which tea is for which health condition?

Before you can understand the benefits of the teas, it would probably help to know a little bit more about the teas themselves.

The largest real benefit, is that all teas, with the exception of the herbal varieties, have high quantities of naturally occurring antioxidants. Antioxidants help to rein-in the free radicals in our bodies that can destroy the healthy cells.

White, green, Oolong, and black teas are all products of the same plant.The differences occur in the processing.

• White tea is picked at the prime of the plant. It is only steamed and dried.
• Green tea is picked when the plant has matured. It is not allowed to ferment as it dries.
• Oolong tea is allowed only partial fermentation.
• Black tea is dried and allowed to ferment.

As with most foods, the more tea has been processed, the more of its nutritional value is lost. White tea has the least done to it to process and so has the highest levels of antioxidants. Black tea being the most processed has the least.

Powdered and instant teas, being highly processed, will give the least antioxidant benefits, regardless of the type.Some would not even call them tea.

A Note About Wu Yi Tea

WuYi tea has gotten a lot of attention in the media for helping with weight loss. It is an Oolong tea, made from plants that grow specifically in the Wu Yi Mountains in China. It actually does help increase the metabolism a little but all Oolongs have that same benefit. There is really no good reason to spend more on Wu Yi unless you just like it better

Besides normal tea there are other teas that are increasingly popular. People like them for the flavor, the scent, the health benefits, or just because they are a relaxing drink.

• Rooibos, or red tea, is derived from the rooibos root, found in Africa. Because it is made from a root, and not the tea plant, red tea is not technically a tea, but is called such because it is brewed in the same fashion. Rooibos does contain a good deal of free radical fighting antioxidants, but no other health benefits have been confirmed yet.
• Herbal Teas are also not 'true' teas, as they are made up of any variety of the leaves, roots and fruit of herbs and plants. There are many benefits of drinking herbal teas, such as the calming effects of lavender or chamomile, for example, that vary by the herbs and plants used in the tea. The scientifically proven benefits and effects are frequently specified on the packaging of the teas. If you buy your tea from a specialty tea shop, they should have the information available in the store, or it can be researched on the internet. Herbs have a vast treasure trove of medicinal properties. It is best to research the herbal teas before drinking them to gain any health benefit.
  

Always check with your doctor before taking a tea to treat or aid in any medical condition. Certain herbal teas will interact with medication so if you are on medicine be extra cautious.

So far, all studies have shown that there are benefits to drinking at least one cup of tea a day, and none have shown a negative effect to more than one cup a day.If nothing else, sipping tea is a wonderful way to take a break and recharge.