Tea - Is it Beneficial for Health?

Apparently, tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world, after water. We’re now more experimental with other kinds of tea than ever before. But, is there a difference in health benefits from black, white, green and red (oolong) tea?

Well, all of the above mentioned teas come from the same plant, the Camellia sinenses. The tea leaves undergo a different process, and it is this process which makes one tea vary in taste from another:

  • White tea is made from the young plant leaves, these are then steamed and dried.
  • Green tea is made from the older leaf, and undergoes the least amount of processing, they are simply steamed quickly.
  • Black and red teas are also made from the older leaf, they are then partially dried, crushed and lastly fermented.

But, regardless of the processing method, all teas contain beneficial polyphenols. Polyphenols give tea its beneficial antioxidant properties.

Interestingly, Kathryn at Limes and Lycopene states that:

“White tea does have the most antioxidants, followed closely by green tea, red (oolong) and then black tea”.

Benefits of Tea

There have been many specific claims to the health benefits of tea, but particularly with black and green tea. Tea has been suggested to reduce the risk of stroke, some cancers and heart disease. The American Dietetic Association state that “While research is still preliminary, studies show some benefit from consuming tea, both green and black, in the prevention of cancer and heart disease.” Good news!

What about caffeine content?

One cup of tea contains an average of 40mg of caffeine, if we compare that to a freshly brewed cup of coffee, containing a whopping 85mg per cup, we can see that tea contains much less.

So, it appears that tea really is a healthy beverage. Remember to brew for 3-5 minutes to bring out the beneficial polyphenols, and skip the sugar, if at all possible.

Check out Kathryn’s articles, Is tea a healthier drink than water?, for details of a recent UK study.

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2 comments...What do you think?

  1. Posted by Lady Rose
    Jul 11, 2007

    I’ve never been a tea drinker for some reason it makes me very nausaus — unless it’s a snapple fruit tea but that I don’t think really counts

    BUT I have alwayw wanted to drink more tea cause I know it’s healthy — so I’m trying to cut back on diet soda. I plan on making a weak white tea with lemon and Sweet Perfection (an all natural from a root substitute for sugar, that also has a lot of fiber). I am hoping it will taste more like lemonade then tea and that I can keep it down. Thats the plan any way - I just need to get my butt in gear and make it instead of reaching for the canned diet soda

  2. Posted by Melanie
    Jul 11, 2007

    Lady Rose - LOL sounds good to me!! I hope it doesn’t make you sick though!!

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