SO MANY TEAS
SO LITTLE TIME
SO MANY TEAS
SO LITTLE TIME
Apparently there are multiple types of teas (sourced from WebMD). There is black tea, which is what I am used to getting. There is green, which seems to be the hype now. There are also white, yellow and oolong types which I discovered when I was looking to try a new tea. So the basics about tea are that it contains flavonoids which are antioxidants. We all know how great antioxidants are for the body as they protect cells from damage due to free radicals. Knowing how great tea is, which tea should you pick? It comes down to preferences and what benefits you “BELIEVE” the tea provides/cures.
So the tea plant is known as Camellia sinensis. Camellia sinensis is a species of plant whose leaves and buds are used to produce beverage tea. Some teas are harvested from this species of plant and are then processed differently to attain different oxidation levels. Also note that most herbal teas are from different plants and if you are looking for the benefits of a tea, make sure the ingredients states that tea is included.
Green tea is un-wilted and un-oxidized and there are many benefits because it is not processed as much as other teas. While many claims might seems a little far fetch, the one thing to remember is that antioxidants are good for the body and so having green tea can only aid in this benefit.
Black is fully oxidized and as I learned doesn’t necessarily have the most caffeine. This is due to the maturity of the plant and buds that are used. I think the biggest thing about black tea, in my opinion, is that is tastes smooth and there doesn’t seemed to be any funky tastes. But that could just be me.
Another tea is Oolong (Wulong) tea. Oolong tea has been said to improve skill such as thinking and mental alertness which could be attributed to the caffeine, theophylline and theobromine contained in the tea. This tea would be between the green tea and black tea when it comes to how much it has been processed. So maybe I should try this to see if it’s the best of both teas.
Finally there are white and yellow which are also un-oxidized and are less processed. These teas come from the tender buds and low-tannin young leaves of the plant. Again, benefits are similar to green tea and depending on your tastes bus, might be a viable option.
Now that I have gone on the search for which tea I should try, I have come to the conclusion that I will need to try a sample of them all to see which one I prefer. Maybe it will be a goal of mine to try incorporate tea into my daily routine and try a new type/flavor every month.
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