February 2014 - The Benefits of Drinking Tea
Green tea, black tea, white tea, Roobios tea, herbal tea, flavored/instant tea—How do you choose which is the best one for you to drink? To start at the beginning…..
To be a true tea, the leaves must come from the plant camellia sinensis. The only true teas are green, black, white and oolong.
All true teas have antioxidants called flavonoids, a family of polyphenols which plants produce as protection against parasites and oxidative injury. ECGC is the most abundant catechin in tea (part of the flavonoid family), a powerful antioxidant under study for its possible anti cancer, anti inflammatory and heart disease protection properties. True teas also contain the stimulant caffeine –30-90 mg per cup- depending upon the type of tea and brewing method. The amount of antioxidants in the tea leaves depends upon the level of processing.
Black teas made with fermented tea leaves are the most processed and therefore have the lowest levels of antioxidants, but the highest level of caffeine. Black teas are the basis for Chai tea (which adds additional spices and sugar) and other flavored and instant teas.
Oolong teas made with semi-fermented leaves have higher antioxidant levels and lower caffeine than black teas but lower antioxidant levels and higher caffeine than green teas.
Green teas made with steamed tea leaves are moderately processed, have a high concentration of EGCG, and a low to moderate level of caffeine. They come in a variety of flavors from light and mild to complex and smoky.
White teas are the rarest of the teas, with minimal or no processing, possessing the highest concentration of antioxidants and the lowest level of caffeine. They also have the subtlest taste of the true teas.
Roobios tea is not a true tea as the red leaves which are fermented come from a South African plant-aspalathus linearis. The tea does contain antioxidants like true teas but no caffeine.
Herbal teas are also not true teas as they can be made from the leaves, fruits, seeds or roots of any herb. They may or may not have antioxidants depending upon the herb. Popular herbal teas include ginger, hibiscus, mint, jasmine, rosehip, and chamomile. Use caution with herbal tea mixtures touting weight loss or cancer preventing properties as they may include herbs that interact with medications or have negative effects on the liver or kidneys.
Instant/flavored teas often contain very little tea leaves but a lot of sugar or artificial sweeteners.
All teas may contain fluoride and aluminum contamination due to environmental pollution, with the highest amounts being in teas made from old leaves and stems. There have been rare cases of skeletal fluorosis (fluoride deposits on bone and ligaments) resulting from drinking excessive amounts of tea on a daily basis. Teas also contain oxalate (although with a low bioavailability) which can cause kidney stones if an excessive amount of tea is consumed.
With a lot of healthful properties (antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties, good taste, sugar free hydration, less stimulation than coffee), tea is a great addition to water in meeting your daily fluid needs. So go out and try a “true” tea.
There are so many from which to choose!
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