Warm Up with Tea - Varieties and Benefits

What is chai ☕ for an Indian?

• Sleepy? Have tea.

• Tired 😰? Have tea.

• Mood off 😏? Have tea.

• Feeling cold 🥶? Have tea.

• Want a Samosa? Must have tea.

• Not well 🥴? Have adrakh wali tea.

• Want a good figure? Have green tea.

•Rainy Day: have tea

If you haven't guessed it already, but we really, really like drinking tea. We are Tea Gals! In this post we will be sharing some facts about the varieties of tea and also its benefits. 

 

Tea Varieties photo by Alice Pasqual on Unsplash

There's so much you can learn about tea besides its origins and culture. Did you know - Black,  Green,  Oolong,  dark and white teas all come from the same plant, a warm-weather evergreen named Camellia sinensis?  

Tea plant photo by Rashid on Unsplash

Differences among the five types of tea result from the various degrees of processing and the level of oxidization. I didn't know. 😮

Black tea is fully oxidized. Oolong tea is partially oxidized.  After withering and rolling, the tea leaves undergo natural chemical reactions resulting in taste and color changes which develop the tea's distinguishing characteristics.  Green & white teas are not oxidized after leaf harvesting.  Oolong tea is midway between black and green teas in strength and color.  Dark teas are fermented after manufacture.

We typically drink black tea. I think I've only had green tea a handful of times. What is your favorite variety of tea? Do you prefer one variety over the other? 

 

Brooke Bond Red Label Natural Care Tea

Did you know that drinking tea has health benefits? That fact alone would motivate me to drink tea regularly. How about you?

Tea is a refreshing beverage that contains no sodium, fat, carbonation, or sugar.  It is virtually calorie-free. It helps maintain proper fluid balance and may contribute to overall good health. It contains flavonoids, naturally occurring compounds that are believed to have antioxidant properties. Tea flavonoids often provide bioactive compounds that help to neutralize free radicals, which scientists believe, over time, damage elements in the body, such as genetic material and lipids that contribute to chronic disease. 

Looking for hard facts and statistics of why drinking tea is beneficial, check out more below.

Heart 💓 Health: Human population studies have found that people who regularly consume 3 or more cups of black tea per day have a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke. Each 8 oz. cup of tea consumed by those over 65 years old was associated with a 10% lower risk of death from heart disease. 

Certain Cancers: More than 3,000 published research studies have evaluated the effect of tea - White, Green, Oolong, or Black - and tea compounds, such as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), on the risk of a  variety of cancer types.  A study published in the February 2015 issue of the Journal of Molecular Nutrition and Food Research found the main antioxidant in Green tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate  (EGCG), helps kill cancer cells through the destruction of the cells’ mitochondria. Research has also identified an association between the amount and duration of tea consumption and gastrointestinal cancer risk.

Photo by An Nguyen on Unsplash

Tea consumption has been linked to lower skin cancer risk. One study showed that participants who drank iced Black tea and citrus peel had a 42% reduced risk of skin cancer and hot Black tea consumption was associated with a significantly lower risk of the most common form of skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma.

Neurological 🧠 Decline: Research has identified several modifiable factors that may help slow the progression or reduce the risk of age-related neurological declines and diseases. Tea may be one of the modifiable factors as the antioxidants in tea may protect brain cells from environmental insults from free radical exposure. In addition, L-theanine in tea has been shown to directly affect areas of the brain that control attention and ability to solve complex problems.

Weight Management: Several studies suggest drinking calorie-free tea may help with weight management. Preliminary research suggested that tea flavonoids help elevate metabolic rate, increase fat 7 oxidation and improve insulin activity. Tea catechins can also provide modest shifts in metabolism that may improve weight loss and maintenance. 

Tea and Bone Health: A recently published meta-analysis analyzed the potential link between tea consumption and bone mineral density (BMD). Across the studies there was a significant increase in BMD for tea drinkers verses non-drinkers. 

Immune 💪 Function: There has been research on tea's potential impact on immune function. Research from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard University indicated that tea contains a component that can help the body ward off infection and disease and that drinking tea may strengthen the immune system. L-theanine, found in tea, primes the immune system in fighting infection, bacteria, viruses, and fungi. 

☕Thank you for continuing on this Tea journey with us, from its origins, culture, varieties, and benefits.