Types of Teas and Health Benefits
Last Updated on Saturday, 14 August 2010 06:27 Written by DarkKnightH20 Tuesday, 27 October 2009 12:00
Author: DarkKnightH20
I am a tea fanatic. By that I mean I’m not really a fanatic, but I drink it every day at least once (with a maximum tea intake of two big cups). Part of the reason I do this is because it’s very, very healthy for you. Also, depending on what kind you are drinking, it also includes caffeine. This caffeine acts differently than normal caffeine found in soda. In green teas the caffeine is time released, or released slowly throughout your body, unlike with coffee and its equivalents which release it all at once throughout your body. Consequently, with coffee that means it will also all leave your body faster and make you tired. The effects of caffeine from green tea wear off slowly so that you feel no huge burst of tiredness afterward. The jolt of energy also lasts longer too. All teas are like this for the most part, except for black tea, which, like coffee, gives you all the caffeine at once too, or decaffeinated teas, which contain no caffeine because…they’re decaffeinated. That doesn’t mean that black tea is unhealthy for you or anything though. On the contrary…it rocks your socks healthily!
So…Let’s compare the leetness of each tea and what is so great about one in comparison to the other.
“Oolong Tea: This tea is only oxidized for a short time after picking and it can help to provide clearer skin, weight loss is also a benefit because it acts like an appetite suppressor and this tea can aid in the prevention of cancer. It may also aid in controlling Type 2 diabetes, eczema, allergies bacterial infections and lower high blood pressure.
Black Tea: This tea is the most oxidized or fermented tea available and it also has the highest caffeine content. It may help reduce the risk of stroke and lung damage caused by smoking and it may help lower cholesterol.
White Tea: The tea leaves are picked young, before the buds of the plant are fully matured, they are uncured and unfermented this tea is believed to have the most cancer fighting properties, and it is believed to aid in the prevention of dental plaque growth. This tea has the least amount of caffeine.
Green Tea: These tea leaves are not fermented, it is produced by steaming the leaves and then drying them. This tea is amazing for health benefits it is thought to lower cholesterol, boost the immune system and fight heart disease. It is also thought to help in the prevention of cancers and reduce the effects of cigarette smoking. This tea is also know as a favorite among dieters because it contains higher levels of catechins which is a form of polyphenols and it helps to burn calories and reduce body fat. The more tea is oxidized the lower the levels of catechins.”
(Source: Associated Content)
“Herbal Teas: have many healing and health benefits. Rooibos is a caffeine-free red herbal tea from South Africa loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and flavonoids (water-soluble plant pigments found beneficial to health). Research shows this red tea exhibits a wide variety of health benefits including suppression of cancer-producing cells, alleviation of nervous tension and allergies, reduction of blood pressure, and promotion of healthy skin, bones, and teeth.”
(Source: The Organic Affair)
That’s a rough comparison of the primary types of tea and their benefits. Also, do not fret. You aren’t considered some sort of weird hippy, an old person, or anything of that nature if you drink tea. No…you are considered sophisticated and rad with every cup you drink!
Be cool like me, drink tea! 😉
[…] right? Good! You should read it then. I thought it was interesting to see a comparison between Types of Teas and their Health Benefits so I wrote an article after researching it. I drink tea all the time. You guys should too. It makes […]
:-O
Nice post. I make my morning (And Afternoon, Late Afternoon, and Evening) Coffee with a few types of tea. I use a combination of Oolong, Earl Grey(Black tea), and green teas mixed with my Arabica Coffee.
The combination is not very good tasting, but different caffeine sources have different effects. My Awful Elixir is done when it dissolves the spoon and cracks the massive Coffee mug I use. (Obvious exaggeration)
I have found that a bit of Sugar a and a lot of Soy Milk will make it taste fairly tolerable. It is not going to be featured at Starbucks though. Most people would say it is the worst swill they have had the misfortune of tasting. But if they can swallow a bit of it, it will have them wired for several hours.
The health benefits of these teas are widely disputed, but then we must remember that the unnamed pharmaceutical companies are on a vigorous campaign to slander anything natural that may help the people they make their money from.
A word of warning about the herbal teas. Be *VERY* careful. Avoid anything that contains Wormwood. It is a known hallucinogen. Anyone who has drank (Real) Absinthe will know well about this. And about that, Absinthe sold in most parts of the world contains ZERO of the properties that the real stuff has.
A good rule of thumb for herbal teas is this. Unless you know all the details of what it contains AND what those ingredients themselves do, do not touch it.
Wikipedia will tell you everything, but be sure to click the discussion tab at the top of each article to read the details of how and why the main page has the information it does and why it excludes some (Sometimes) vital information.
Thank you DarkKnightH20 for starting the thread. There are too few of this sort of subject on reputable sites like this.
Also, I get my teas from silverleaftea.com
I hope no-one minds me plugging this here. They have good prices and the tea is excellent.
And yes, I am the one formerly known as OmniNegro. That handle would potentially violate one or more affiliate’s ToS, so I changed it.