Teas to try: the health benefits of green, black, and white tea

 Gunpowder Green Tea For fortune-tellers, gazing into tea leaves reveals the future. Fortea-drinkers, the leaves of certain teas may be harbingers of a healthier future. Aside from herbal or fruit-infused teas, most teas come from theleaves of the same tea bush, Camellia sinensis . The benefit of each kind of tea from the Camellia sinensis depends upon when and where the leaves are harvested and how theirproperties are brewed or extracted. To get to the truth about tea,we need to gaze into the leaves a bit, too. Green tea Read the leaves: Green tea reigns as the current health superstar of teas. Youngleaves of the Camellia sinensis bush are harvested to make green tea, then steamed, dried, androlled. When brewed, the leaves yield a delicate, grassy flavour.Tons of varieties exist, infused with different flavours, likefruit or toasted rice. Some kinds are handled differently, as withthe "gunpowder" variety, in which the leaves are rolledinto balls that look like gunpowder pellets used in cannons. Harvest the benefits: Tea from the Camellia sinensis family contain catechins, a type of antioxidant that can protectcells in the body from oxidative damage that may lead to cancers.Because it goes through less processing than other tea types, greentea contains a higher amount of a certain kind of catechin calledEGCG. EGCG is at the heart of numerous scientific studies researchinggreen tea's potential medical uses and health benefits. Some of itssuspected uses include: helping to maintain healthy weight slowing the growth of some cancers and lowering risks of others reducing inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis andCrohn's disease and ulcerative colitis reducing the risk of death from cardiovascular disease Is all this a tempest in a teacup? Can green tea live up to all ofits hype? Most people don't drink enough to get the kinds ofresults seen in research studies, in which highly dense extracts ofgreen tea may be used. Still, risks of cardiovascular disease andprostate cancer were found to be drastically reduced when peopledrank 5 cups per day (one cup of green tea provides 20-35 mg ofEGCG). Drinking 5 cups of green tea each day may work for some, buteven one or two a day may give you some of the benefits. Black tea Read the leaves: Known as "red tea" in some cultures, black tea iscreated from the withering, crushing, oxidizing, and drying of theleaves of Camellia sinensis . Since the leaves are oxidized, which darkens the leaves and givesit its recognizable "tea" flavour, some of the healthbenefits are leached out of the tea. Black tea provides the basefor many tea blends, including the popular Earl Grey and EnglishBreakfast teas. Chai - named with the Hindi word for tea - is ablend of black tea and spices, including cloves, cinnamon, andginger. Harvest the benefits: The ritual of taking tea offers a moment of respite from stress,and black tea specifically has been linked to lowering the levelsof stress hormones in the body. Despite its reputation as atooth-stainer, black tea may have dental benefits because of itsfluoride content. Black tea may also aid the healing process ofthose with coronary artery disease. And like its greener kin, blacktea contains antioxidants and is a low-calorie, low-fat beverage. White tea Read the leaves: To create the "white" variety of tea, the youngest budsand leaves of Camellia sinensis are harvested in early spring. They are then put through an evenmore delicate process than the leaves of green tea: low heat, norolling, extended time to wither. White tea's caffeine contentvaries depending on the blend and quality of the leaves. Itsflavour is described as sweet. Harvest the benefits: White tea extract has lately been added to some toothpaste brandsbecause of its purported ability to fight the growth of bacteria onteeth. Due to its extra-delicate processing, white tea retains evenmore of its antioxidants than green tea and holds promise as apotential sunscreen additive. Let these ideas steep Keep the following in mind as you decide whether to add some tea toyour days: Tea may contain less caffeine than coffee, but it is caffeinenonetheless. Caffeine has been linked to high blood pressure andcan trigger symptoms of conditions, including heartburn andheadaches. The tannins in tea may interfere with or decrease the effectivenessof some medications. Ask your doctor or pharmacist whether yourmedications can mix with green tea. The tannins may also hinder iron absorption. Women who are pregnant should not drink large amounts of green tea.EGCG can interfere with neural tube development. Mixing tea with citrus may up its antioxidant strength. To get the most of tea's benefits, drink it freshly brewed, ratherthan bottled. Let tea steep for a few minutes to release thecatechins.