Different Types of Teas and Their Health Benefits
Strictly speaking, tea is a drink that is made by pouring hot or boiling water over treated leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant.
This plant is native to East Asia and has been used to make tea for centuries.
There are several varieties of tea made from Camellia sinensis, depending on the type and method of processing these leaves.
The different processes that the leaves undergo impart different tastes, flavor, and color on them. And the different varieties are classified based on these variations.
The varieties include white tea, green tea, oolong tea, Pu-erh tea, and black tea.
White tea is the type of tea where the leaves are not oxidized. As a result, many of the natural components of the leaves remain unaltered.
Green tea is made from slightly oxidized leaves while the leaves used in making Pu-erh tea are oxidized and then fermented.
The most oxidized and fermented leaves give what is known as black tea.
The different varieties of tea and their health benefits are listed below.
White tea is very rich in anti-oxidants. It has the highest amount of antioxidants among all the varieties of tea.
The effectiveness of the tea as a great healing drink owes a lot to the following components: little or no tannins, polyphenols (flavonoid and catechins).
These components play a major role in regulating and maintaining the proper functioning of the organs of the body.
Health benefits of White Tea
White Tea Works as an Antidote for Inflammation
The catechins in white tea work to combat inflammation in any part of the body, especially the muscles.
A lot of studies conducted on the role of catechins have shown that not only do they cure inflammation but are also effective in deactivating the agents that are responsible for inflammation in the body.
Amelioration of Hepatitis B
White tea can be effective in reducing the infection of Hepatitis B. The active agent in white tea which is responsible for this, again is catechin.
In fact, catechins have been found to be immensely meritorious to the liver and greatly helps in maintaining a healthy liver.
However, it has not been scientifically proved that white tea can totally cure Hepatitis.
Prevention Against Tooth Rust
If you are seeking to maintain your oral health and prevent teeth from decaying as well as preventing the damage of the gum, then it is recommended that you take white tea regularly.
Another component of white tea, flavonoid, has been shown to be an effective agent in preventing plague and bacterial growth.
Furthermore, white tea makes your teeth white as it contains no coloration which can stain your teeth because the tea is white itself.
White tea controls bowel movement and helps to improve the digestion of food. In addition, it can be used to relieve running stomach as it is a proven antidote for the acidic stomach.
It Helps to Enhance the Skin
White tea can serve as anti-aging medicine. The antioxidants present in white tea combat free radicals which are the natural aging agents in the body.
Furthermore, white tea contains polyphenols which stimulate dead epithelial tissues and cells.
White tea can help to reduce the level of blood pressure in the blood vessels. This essentially means that they can be used to treat high blood pressure and hypertension.
Green tea is made from the Camellia sinensis plant. It is different from white tea in that it was treated without been allowed to oxidize.
It imparts a green coloration to the water when made, hence induces the name. It has been a popular type of tea for the Chinese for a very long time.
It contains polyphenols (thearubigins, theaflavins, epigallocatechin gallate as well as other catechins) and anti-oxidants.
Health benefits of green tea
Prevention of Cells and Tissues
The polyphenols contained in green tea are powerful agents which protect the body from degenerative diseases.
Polyphenols are a combination of numerous components which work together to protect the cells from radiation damage.
Enhance the Immune System
In addition to preventing the cells from radiation damage, the polyphenols in green tea also work to build the immune system of the body and make it stronger.
Thereby, making the body more resistant to diseases and infections.
Green Tea Strengthens the Heart
The polyphenols in Camellia sinensis can dissolve in water which makes it easy for the body to absorb. This high amount of polyphenols can be harnessed by people who intend to make their heart stronger and work better.
As well as those who have heart diseases, because it has been shown that polyphenols help to improve the circulation of blood.
This also means that high blood pressure can be alleviated by regularly taking green tea.
It Helps to Regulate Body Fat
One of the components of green tea is caffeine which is popularly known to reduce body fat.
As a result of this, it is usually recommended for people battling obesity to consume more green tea because it will help them to reduce their weight.
Green Tea Stimulates the Brain
Caffeine in moderate proportion can help the brain to stay sharp. In fact, it has been observed that people who take green tea regularly have a high level of mental alertness.
Oolong tea, which may not be popular in the western world, is widely consumed in China and Taiwan. It is partially fermented and contains very little or no calories at all.
It contains caffeine in similar amounts to green tea. It is however rich in antioxidants. Other components of oolong tea include flavonoids.
Health benefits of oolong tea
It Helps to Reduce the Risk of Diabetes
Research is still ongoing into this, but it is very likely that drinking oolong tea can help to decrease glucose levels in the blood.
It is believed that taking oolong tea can help to reduce type 2 diabetes, the most common type of diabetes which is caused by high sugar levels and insulin resistance.
It is also believed that oolong tea can help to prevent diabetes.
Oolong Tea Helps to Reduce the Risk of Cancer
As earlier stated, oolong tea contains a high amount of antioxidants. This component greatly helps in reducing the chances of having a wide range of cancers type which includes pancreatic and ovarian cancer.
It Reduces the Risk of Heart Diseases
Antioxidants are powerful agents that help in maintaining a healthy heart. These antioxidants, which are abundantly present in oolong tea, are made even more effective by the presence of vitamins and minerals.
These reduce the level of cholesterol in the body, thereby preventing cardiovascular diseases.
Maintaining A Healthy Skin
Oolong tea helps to reduce the occurrence of dermatitis, a skin disease. In addition, it helps to battle free radicals in the body.
Thereby, preventing the skin from oxidative damage such as dark spots, acne, and wrinkles.
In other words, oolong tea helps in slowing down the aging process.
The most oxidized and cured Camellia sinensis will produce black tea because brewing the leaves will give a black colored tea.
It is the most popular and commonly taken variety of tea in the world today.
Black tea has a lot of components which contribute to making it a very effective herb for curing and preventing a wide range of diseases and infections.
These components include amino acids, polyphenols (flavonoid and catechins), caffeine, tannins, guanine, xanthine, fluoride, major and trace elements.
Health Benefits of Black Tea
It Helps to Improve Oral Health
Polyphenols and tannins present in black tea are effective antibiotics which help to kill the microorganisms that are responsible for tooth rust and foul breath.
In addition, these components might be able to reduce the risk of oral cancer. The presence of fluoride in black tea also makes the teeth strong.
Black Tea Strengthens the Immune System
The tannins in black tea are effective inhibitors of microbial growth. Research has shown that tannins help to fight a wide range of viruses and bacteria such as Hepatitis, flu, and dysentery.
Furthermore, alkylamine antigens which are present in black tea help to enhance the immune response.
Black Tea Reduces the Risk of Cancer
Well, almost every variety of tea does this. This is due to the activity of polyphenols which battle the free radicals in the body, hence helping to prevent several types of cancer.
Polyphenols act to reduce the glycemic index of the body, which in turn leads to a reduction in the level of blood sugar.
It Makes the Bone Stronger
Studies have shown that people who take black tea have a reduced tendency of suffering from bone fractures. This is as a result of flavonoids in the tea.
Also, the phytochemicals in black tea reduce the occurrence of arthritis.