The Best Teas For Your Health

Tea is more than just colored water! Drinking tea might be thought of as simply your go-to beverage for hydration and metabolism boosting effects. Perhaps, you are looking for a reason to add tea to your diet. Both avid tea-drinkers and newcomers to the club can bask in this news: tea is astoundingly good for your health. Drink the following types of tea may provide many benefits:

Black Tea

Though black tea is the most common variety of tea that we know and comes in various blends (like Earl Grey and Irish Breakfast, to name a few), it also has the most caffeine (40 milligrams per cup). Black tea is generally made by rolling and fermenting the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant then dried and crushed.

According to WebMD’s page about black tea, it has the following benefits:

• A high concentration of antioxidant compounds that lower cholesterol levels
• Lowers risk of diabetes, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and Parkinson’s disease
• The polyphenols and catechins lower the risk of ovarian cancer and lung cancer
• Boosts metabolism, focus, and attention

White Tea

Picked young, white tea has the mildest flavor out of any tea. Since white tea is unfermented, it also has lower levels of caffeine. That said, it is also the best tea for those affected by cancer. This is because white tea has greater amounts of EGCG and other cancer-fighting properties and inhibits cell mutations much better than green tea, as proven by a revolutionary 2000 study.

Oolong Tea

Though oolong (sometimes called wulong) is often called “black tea,” because of the color, it is actually slightly different and should not be confused. Oolong is actually fermented for a shorter amount of time, so it has a much richer taste and contains only 30 milligrams of caffeine per cup.

Like other teas, oolong is known to help the body’s metabolism by enhancing fat-targeting enzymes in the body. Plus, the polyphenolic properties of oolong remove free radicals from the body, which helps prevent things like stroke, rheumatoid arthritis, neurodegeneration, and diabetes. A 2001 study even found that oolong can help relieve itchy skin caused by dermatitis.

Green Tea

The delectable flavor of green tea has made it a star in many eastern cultures. The Japanese, for example, regularly drink unsweetened green tea and have reaped many benefits from this custom. Green tea has a more delicate flavor than black tea because it is dried and treated with heat upon being picked instead of undergoing fermentation.

Green tea has an antioxidant called catechins and the subgroup known as EGCG, which has been studied to shield the body from various cancers, such as bladder, breast, lung, and pancreatic cancer, atherosclerosis, and heart disease. Green tea also improves dental health and fights inflammation throughout the body.

Infused or Flavored Tea

This category is for black and green teas that are infused with non-tea ingredients like orange or lemon peel, cinnamon, and herbs. You can expect flavored teas to have the same qualities as regular tea but with additional benefits from the healthy additions. For example, if you have a cup of tea with lemon and ginger, you are also going to receive the anti-inflammatory benefits of the ginger, and the extra shot of vitamin-C from the lemon.

Tea is an incredible elixir that is easy to prepare and enjoyable to sip. If you want all around benefits, drink various types of tea throughout the day. From anti-aging properties to cancer-fighting powers, tea is one of the best medicines that anyone, young or old, can drink without worry. Grab your mugs, because it is time to fill up on delicious tea. 

Interested in learning about coffee? Check out A Great Coffee.