It’s Tea Time!

It’s Tea Time!

Tea is one of my favorite things in the world and I’m fortunate that it is also one of the healthiest. Tea is great because there is such a wide variety of flavors and resulting effects. For example: teas that make you more awake and alert, teas that are relaxing, teas that promote sleep, etc. There are so many different types of teas and they bear many different types of health benefits. I’m just going to begin with some basics: green tea, white tea, and black tea and talk about their individual benefits.

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Green Tea

Green tea is exceptionally high in antioxidants. According to WebMD, “Green tea’s antioxidants may interfere with the growth of bladder, breast, lung, stomach, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers; prevent clogging of the arteries, burn fat, counteract oxidative stress on the brain, reduce risk of neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, reduce risk of stroke, and improve cholesterol levels." And there are even more potential benefits. Because of the fat-burning benefits, many people use green tea to aid weight loss. Studies have also shown that “catechin”, an antioxidant in green tea, to prevent tooth decay and throat infections. Lifehack.org states that the catechin in green tea has anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties that can be used to treat or inhibit anything from the flu to cancer and other diseases.

White Tea

White tea is also very high in polyphenols or antioxidants. It is unfermented so it has not been processed and therefore is more beneficial than fermented teas such as black tea or oolong. According to subpages.com, it has been reported that white tea can contain over ten times the antioxidant power of a capsule of vitamin E. White tea can lower cholesterol, fight cancer, lower blood pressure, boost the immune system and increase bone density. Hubpages.com states that white tea has more anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties than green tea, as well as higher levels of the antioxidant catechin. I thought this fact was really interesting because we often hear of the abundant health benefits of green tea and its high amount of antioxidants and white tea gets less recognition.

Black Tea

Black tea also has antioxidants, although it does not contain as many as green or white tea, its antioxidants are potent enough to improve cardiovascular health, oral health, the immune system and aid in preventing cancers. Black tea is generally pretty high in caffeine so it is a good, healthier alternative to coffee. Healthdiaries.com states that, “unlike high levels of caffeine found in coffee, the low amounts in black tea promote blood flow in the brain without over stimulating the heart.” The caffeine in black tea makes you alert and assists mental focus and concentration and the caffeine in black tea is soothing unlike coffee. Healthdiaries.com notes that, “black tea has been shown to reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol after a month of drinking four cups of tea daily. The caffeine in black tea might also give your memory the boost it needs for a few hours and some studies suggest that a regular tea habit may help protect against Parkinson's disease.”

Overall, it seems as if all three of these teas are quite favorable to our health, so pick one or even better all three and sip away.