Spring Break
Tea-rrific ways to increase your health
Issue date: 2/14/08
Valentine's Day gifts can be tricky, especially if your loved one doesn't like chocolate. But you know what everyone likes? Living healthy. That's where tea comes in.
There's such a variety to this healthy, hot drink ÂÂ- tea in a teapot, tea with tea bread, tea with biscuits, bubble tea, divined from tea leaves by Professor Trelawney … the list goes on and on.
According to legend, tea was first discovered in China around 2700 B.C. Leaves, blown by the divine wind, fell into an herbalist's pot of hot water.
He tasted the brew and was so overcome by the fine flavor that he passed tea on to all his civilization.
There are four categories of tea that come from the plant Camellia sinensis.
Oolong tea consists of the raw leaves that have been sun-wilted and bruised to expose their juices to the air.
The leaves are partially oxidized, giving a rich flavor that falls somewhere between that of black and green teas.
Black tea is made from leaves that are allowed to oxidize much longer, giving them a strong, dark taste. Black tea retains its flavor longer than green tea and contains more caffeine.
Green tea is barely oxidized; the leaves are simply heated, rolled and dried.
Unlike the other three, white tea is not made from the tea plant leaves, but instead is made of the buds, which are dried or baked.
For the best health results, green and white teas are the way to go, because they are the least processed and highest in anti-oxidants.
When it comes to choosing a hot beverage that will best feed your caffeine addiction, black tea isn't far behind coffee, with oolong, green and then white tea trailing behind.
A freshly cut tea leaf is mostly made up of water, but also includes other lovely goodies like catechin.
This tannin is found mainly in green teas because the oxidizing and fermenting process required in black and oolong teas reduces its presence.
One particular tannin, EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), is an exceptionally powerful anti-oxidant. Its activity helps protect the body from damage by dangerous free radicals.
There's such a variety to this healthy, hot drink ÂÂ- tea in a teapot, tea with tea bread, tea with biscuits, bubble tea, divined from tea leaves by Professor Trelawney … the list goes on and on.
According to legend, tea was first discovered in China around 2700 B.C. Leaves, blown by the divine wind, fell into an herbalist's pot of hot water.
He tasted the brew and was so overcome by the fine flavor that he passed tea on to all his civilization.
There are four categories of tea that come from the plant Camellia sinensis.
Oolong tea consists of the raw leaves that have been sun-wilted and bruised to expose their juices to the air.
The leaves are partially oxidized, giving a rich flavor that falls somewhere between that of black and green teas.
Black tea is made from leaves that are allowed to oxidize much longer, giving them a strong, dark taste. Black tea retains its flavor longer than green tea and contains more caffeine.
Green tea is barely oxidized; the leaves are simply heated, rolled and dried.
Unlike the other three, white tea is not made from the tea plant leaves, but instead is made of the buds, which are dried or baked.
For the best health results, green and white teas are the way to go, because they are the least processed and highest in anti-oxidants.
When it comes to choosing a hot beverage that will best feed your caffeine addiction, black tea isn't far behind coffee, with oolong, green and then white tea trailing behind.
A freshly cut tea leaf is mostly made up of water, but also includes other lovely goodies like catechin.
This tannin is found mainly in green teas because the oxidizing and fermenting process required in black and oolong teas reduces its presence.
One particular tannin, EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), is an exceptionally powerful anti-oxidant. Its activity helps protect the body from damage by dangerous free radicals.
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