Tea: Types and Health Benefits

Tea: Types and Health Benefits
Tea is the most common beverage choice through the world. Whether it’s black, green, or oolong tea, tea comes from the same plant, called Camellia sinensis. Differences in color and flavor depend ion processing.

For black tea, the most popular type in the United States, tea leaves are exposed to air, the natural biochemical process turns them a deep red-brown color and imparts a unique, rich flavor. Many flavored specialty teas start with black tea.

For green tea, typically served in Chinese and Japanese restaurants, the tea leaves are not processed as much. Instead, they’re just heated or steamed quickly to keep their green color and delicate flavor.

Oolong tea is “between” tea: between black and green tea.

Whether black or green or oolong, tea appears to have potential health benefits, perhaps derived from its flavonoids. Flavonoids and other polyphenols, which are phytonutrients, work as antioxidants that may help protect body cells from damage done by free radicals. Using the oxygen radical absorbency capacity (ORAC)) score, which may ranks the antioxidants potential of plant based foods, tea ranks as high as or higher than many fruits and vegetables.

Can tea drinking help keep our body healthy? May be, but the research linking tea consumption and disease prevention is too new for certainty, And there’s not enough evidence yet to offer specific advice about tea drinking. Some promising areas of study suggests that tea or tea’s flavonoids may reduce risk of gastric, esophageal and skin cancers and may offer protection from heart disease and stroke – if consume enough (four to six cups a day). Some studies are investigating whether tea plays a role in relaxation or mental performance.

Tea may supply fluoride, which helps strengthen tooth enamel, if it’s made with fluoridated water. Tea also may help fight cavities by reducing plaque formation and hindering cavity-forming bacteria.
Tea: Types and Health Benefits