The Best Health Benefits of Tea

What are the health benefits of tea? Most people are either coffee people or tea people. Since I have already written a post all about coffee, and since I am a tea person personally, it only make sense that I finally write about tea. There is quite the variety of tea with different, colors, flavors, and indeed, health benefits, although there are four main types: green tea, black tea, oolong tea, and white tea.

There is also another tea sometimes included on this main or traditional list, called pu-erh tea, which is a type of black tea. All these teas are grown from the same plant, the Camellia sinensis plant, but that does not mean that all these teas are the same.

Tea has been used by countless cultures for thousands of years, using everything from roots and leaves to even certain kinds of bark and twigs, usually the main goal being some kind of health benefit. The Camellia sinensis plant which produces all types of traditional tea is grown in China and India. But how can one plant produce such a wide range of different teas? This is because the tea that is created from the Camellia sinensis plant depends on how long the leaves are fermented are oxidized, with darker teas usually being more heavily oxidized¹.

If you are a tea enthusiast, you might be wondering, “But what about herbal teas?” Different herbal teas, including fruit teas, have not been studied as much as traditional teas so it is difficult to say what specific health benefits they have. However, they are known to have less caffeine compared to the teas made from the Camellia sinensis plant.

Health Benefits of Tea

Green tea is probably one of the most popular types of the traditional teas, especially in Japan. If you’ve ever been to Japan, you probably have seen the bottles of green tea (or matcha, which is powdered green tea) being sold in vending machine, and the wide array of green-tea infused or flavored snacks. Green tea has been studied extensively and is known to possess a large number of health benefits. Since it is full of antioxidants, green tea may have the ability to disrupt the growth of certain cancers such as bladder, stomach, lung, breast, and colorectal cancers.

In addition to this, it boosts the metabolism and aids in burning fat, and reduces the risk of stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and artery clogging². Of course, this does not mean that green tea can cure cancer. While it may provide some minor health benefits, green tea, along with other types of tea, have to spend a lot more time in the laboratory before we see some concrete results.

Black tea is made when the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant are fermented. It has a stronger flavor than green tea, a darker color, and its caffeine content is higher. There are many popular kinds of black tea such as Earl Grey and chai. It has not been studied as much as green tea, but there may be evidence that black tea may reduce the risk of stroke and prevent lung damage caused by cigarette smoke². To get the full health benefits of black tea, it is often advised to drink it without milk or sugar.

Oolong tea is a darker tea, but not considered a black tea. Its caffeine content is still high, but not quite as high as black teas. Similar to green tea, oolong tea is believed to help weight loss, but this claim needs more research. Some studies have also found that oolong tea can help lower bad cholesterol levels¹.

The Details

White tea is a rare type of tea and not much is known about it. From its name, you can infer that white tea is a fair-colored tea with a light flavor. This is because it is completely unfermented. Because it is not as processed as other teas, it is believed that white tea may have stronger anticancer properties².

Finally, the odd one out, pu-erh tea is made not only from fermented leaves, but aged leaves. It is a type of black tea usually formed into small, cake-like shapes. It has remained popular in China for thousands of years and has now since spread throughout the world. It can be distinguished by its strong, musty smell. Some research has shown that pu-erh tea helps with weight loss and the reduction of bad cholesterol.

To get some fresh tea of your own, click here.

References:

1 Frey, Malia. (2020). “Health Benefits of Different Types of Teas.” Verywellfit. Retrieved from https://www.verywellfit.com/health-benefits-of-tea-how-different-types-compare-4148086.

2 Edgar, Julie. “Types of Teas and Their Health Benefits.” WebMD. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/tea-types-and-their-health-benefits#1.

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