Types of Tea Leaves and Their Health Benefits
Tea's Beneficial Qualities
Tea is the second most popular drink in North America. Coffee, of course, is the first. But tea plays second fiddle to no one is the amount of health benefits it provides.
Types of Tea Leaves
Contrary to the general public’s knowledge of tea there is more than just black and green tea. There are actually four types of teas; black, green, oolong and white. They are all processed from the same tea plant, Camellia Sinensis, originally found in China around 5000 years ago. Tea is grown all over the world now, but China, India, Sri Lanka, Japan and Taiwan are the top growing countries. Gillian Niblett of Tea at the White House, a a tea house and restaurant full of privately sourced tea in Waterdown, Ontario says “the Camilla Sinensis bush grows best in tropical and subtropical climate on elevations of 1000-7000 feet above sea level. High altitude teas, those grown between 3000 and 7000, give us the superior grades of tea.”
Oxidation Process of Tea
Each type of tea has a different oxidation process. This is what gives each tea its distinct flavour and nutritional benefits. White teas are plucked in early spring leaving the young tea buds unopened. The buds are then withered and dried naturally at low temperatures. Niblett says “this process allows the leaf to retain higher concentration of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals than other teas.”
Green tea is made from smaller leaves that undergo minimal processing. The fresh-plucked leaves are withered, immediately steamed or pan fired to prevent oxidation and then rolled and dried. The health benefits of green tea have been known by the Chinese for centuries. Researchers have recently determined that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. It has also been shown to lower cholesterol levels and improve the correlation between good (HDL) cholesterol and bad (LDL) cholesterol.
Black tea has ten different steps to process. These fully oxidized leaves produce a much stronger, robust flavour with a mild aroma. Small, spring leaves are usually the most prized, such as Darjeeling.
Oolong tea is semi-oxidized and is made by combining elements from both green and black tea processes. The black outer and green inner parts of the leaf give oolong its characteristic qualities.
Rooibos tea or red tea is made from the “red bush” plant, or Aspalathus Linearis, in South Africa. This tea gives a distinctive reddish-brown colour. Rooibos tea is naturally decaffeinated, opposed to other teas which are caffeinated, and is said to relieve nervous tension, allergies and digestive problems.
Health Benefits of Tea
Tea is rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Antioxidants are dietary substances that include nutrients like beta carotene and vitamins C and E. These substances can prevent damage to body cells and also repair damage that has been done. Antioxidants have also been reported to reduce the risk of cancer and prevent infection. Using loose leaf tea as opposed to bagged tea provides greater health benefits and flavour. Frank Weber a tea expert and owner of The Tea Emporium in Toronto, Ontario, a store full of tea from all over the world says “it is about the quality of the leaves, just as with coffee it is about the quality of the beans. Good quality leaves are not found in your commercial brand tea bags, though not everything in a bag is bad.”
There are numerous blends of tea to choose from just as there are numerous blends of coffee to choose from. Finding the perfect one is a delicious journey anyone should take.
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