In our article “Health Benefits of Tea”, it was stated that teas can have vitamin C, calcium and magnesium. These two minerals calcium and magnesium are good for your heart as well as digestion and helping you to sleep. Also there are small amounts of iron; Vitamins B2, B3, and B6; folic acid, pantothenic acid, copper, and manganese. If a woman was pregnant or to get pregnant, folic acid is vital for the formation and division of cells in the first 4 weeks for life that is growing in her womb. The “B” vitamins are good for add to your nerves system and they also help in the absorption of other vitamins.
Now let’s check out the benefits of white teas, black teas and oolong teas. In part 1 we wrote about the green and red teas.
This tea is grown only in China’s Fujian Province. This tea in its most natural state, each bud is hand-plucked only a few days of the year, right before the leaf opens. As a matter of fact tea leaves are white before turning red, green and then harvested as a brown color. Much like the bell pepper, it also has stages of colors. For this reason we can buy yellow, orange, red and green peppers in the markets. It is said that white tea is one the healthiest teas you can drink. Research suggests that white tea retains the highest level of disease-preventive antioxidants, known as polyphenols. So sip to your heart’s content and to your health.
All black tea comes into this world as a varietal of the Camellia sinensis plant. What sets it apart is a traditional four-step transformation that includes withering, rolling, oxidation and firing. That’s where the basics end and the intrigue of black tea begins, as the term embraces a wide range of robust teas, from Darjeeling to smoky Lapsang Souchong. Black blended teas are mingled with herbs, fruits or spices. Some say black tea helps clear a foggy mind.
Unlike the other teas we have talked about, oolong is a relatively new tea. It has been developed in Formosa (Taiwan) and since the mid-nineteenth century. Oolong tea has a multi-step process that begins with withering and a brief oxidation in direct sunlight. As the tea leaves are being oxidized, the leaves give off a distinctive fragrance, often compared to apples, orchids or peaches. There hasn’t been any known studies about the benefits of this tea.
Are teas truly teas just because the box says so? Presented here is an image of 4 different products that make the calm on the box that they are teas. Look for a moment at the image and read the ingredients of each box. Which ones are true teas and which ones are not?
(click image to enlarge)
The answer is: the Good Earth and the Eggnogg’n by Bigelow are true teas. The Ginger Spice by Celetial and the box in the image on the far right are herbal teas. What exactly are herbal teas?
Well, many devoted tea-drinkers find great pleasure in drinking these aromatic brews, but “herbal teas” are not officially teas. Only the leaves and buds of Camellia sinensis, the plant that gives us black, green, white and oolong tea, are true teas. “Herbal teas” on the other hand, are single or blended infusions of other plant leaves, fruits, bark, roots or flowers of almost any edible, non-tea plant. Most herbal teas are naturally caffeine-free. However, certain herbs such as Yerba Maté contain caffeine. In Europe, herb teas or blends are commonly known as tisanes.
These herbal teas do have medicinal purposes though. Such as peppermint and ginger known as a non-traditional teas are good for digestion. If you are a suffer of Irritable Bowl Syndrome or IBS these two herbs are good for calming your digestion. Also other herbal non-traditional teas can clean or detoxify the liver, and one such herb is Dandelion root. Hibiscus flowers when dried are also made as an herbal tea. The Hibiscus flowers are good for cleaning and detoxifying your kidneys, the same as cranberry fruit dose. If you retain water, then cranberry and hibiscus flowers can help the body to expel excess water. These herbal teas can also be an add to a woman who is menstruating.
So don’t give up your tea time. Enjoy tea, much like the author while writing this article is.
Another benefit we would like to mention about black is that the compounds in black tea that are beneficial include tannin, which acts to counterbalance and enhance the beneficial effects of caffeine. Tannin causes the caffeine to be absorbed more slowly and thereby avoids the caffeine “shock” and crash commonly associated with coffee. Due to the negative press on caffeine, some may find it odd that it could be seen as a health benefit. But in small amounts, tamed by the synergistic effects of tannin, it seems to have several beneficial metabolic properties. This combination also tends to induce a calm, alert and focused mental state, characteristic of alpha brain waves as demonstrated on EEG machines. In addition, black tea contains many beneficial polyphenols including Theanine, which also tends to increase alertness and clarity. The increased focus has been demonstrated to last about three to four hours.
According to the Daily Mirro ,”Scientists claim a cup of tea may help cure diabetes.” You can read more about this clicking this link: Black Tea and Diabetes .
With such benefits of tea we would like to invite you to receive a Free Sample of Samurai Chai Tea Blend with your purchase of any tea at Teavana. Your purchase also will help young women and children from poverty. Through community-based efforts focused on empowering women, a humanitarian organization called CARE® is fighting global poverty working to improve basic education, prevent the spread of disease, and increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources within the countries they are based.
So aside from enjoying great tasting teas you can also have the satisfaction of making a small donation to helping others live a better life.
For more information about how food correlates to a healthy you visit: Savor the Food and Your Health
Related articles
- Camellia Sinensis Tea Plant – Differences Between Teas (tracysafternoontea.wordpress.com)
- Wu-Long Tea Fat Loss Metabolism Booster (1alternativemedicine.wordpress.com)
- Health Benefits of Black Tea (healthylifestylesliving.wordpress.com)
- Health Benefits of Tea (eatandbehealthyblog.wordpress.com)
- Black Tea Fat Loss Booster (fastweightlossex.blogspot.com)
- Reasons to Choose Herbal Tea over Black Tea (medindia.net)
- The Health Benefits of Tea (beautyhigh.com)
Eat and Be Healthy 
Pingback: Is tea Healthy pt 1 | Loose leaf tea with The Teacupany
Pingback: Is tea Healthy pt 2!!! | Loose leaf tea with The Teacupany