Next to water tea is the most popular beverage in the world. However, in the United States it is the sixth most popular beverage behind water, soft drinks, coffee, beer and milk. Eighty percent of the tea served in America is iced, an invention dating to 1904.
How many different types of tea would you guess there are? Actually there are only 3 basic types: green, black and oolong.
More amazing is the fact that all 3 come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. The type is determined by the processing and level of contact with oxygen. The flavor variations are a result of the district in which it is grown.
Herbal teas do not come from this plant, but rather from an infusion of leaves, roots, bark, seed or flowers of other plants. Herbal teas are not linked with the research on the benefits of traditional teas.
Tea boasts several health benefits. It contains many polyphenols which act as antioxidants. This means tea can counteract the damage to DNA by free radicals. Free radicals are produced in our body each day by many items in the environment. The damaged DNA is associated with many diseases.
Some of the polyphenols in tea are flavonols, catechins and tannins. These antioxidants may provide a protective effect for heart disease and stroke, cancer, Alzheimer disease, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, infection and dental caries. Recently a study was published that showed that black tea may help you to recover from the stress of daily life.
Many studies are being conducted on all of these illnesses to give more definitive answers on the health benefits of tea. There is a wide variation in the antioxidant content of different brands of both green and black tea. Additionally there is not a standardized method for measuring the antioxidant content of tea. Since the antioxidant content is not provided on the labels of tea, it would be a good idea to vary the type and brand of tea you drink.
In the meantime, make tea one of your beverages of choice. Its calorie free and it has been estimated that two cups of tea provides as many flavonoids as a serving of fruits or vegetables. The current research shows that drinking 3-5 cups of fresh brewed tea per day may offer health benefits. Black and green tea each contains an average of 50 and 30 mg of caffeine per 8 ounce cup respectively. More than 300 mg of caffeine per day may cause adverse effects.
Decaffeinated, bottled ready-to-drink and instant teas contain fewer polyphenols so they may not have the same benefits.
Drinking tea does reduce the absorption of iron in plant sources (it does not effect the iron in meat sources). So anyone who does not eat any animal protein should include a food containing vitamin C when drinking tea. Consider squeezing some lemon juice into your tea.
The proper temperature to brew hot and iced teas is to use water that has just started to boil. However, green tea should be brewed in water that has not come to a boil or in water that has been brought to a boil and set aside for several minutes.
Dunking tea bags up and down for three minutes releases five times more of the protective ingredients than just leaving the tea bag to steep. Using loose-leaf tea eliminates the need to dunk! Tea should be stored in a closed container in a dark, cool, dry area away from strong odors.
Enjoy some tea time!
