Health Benefits of Tea

A lot of studies revealed tea has many health benefits for the body, as well as healing properties. We thought we would sum up some of these key benefits according to the tea type in order to give you more information about all these wonderful healing properties tea has to offer. If you would like to deepen this subject, you will find several links for references at the bottom of the page.

First, it is important to know that Camelia Sinensis, the tea bush, naturally contains polyphenols, which is another term given for molecules full of antioxidants, and which can be found in thousands of plants. Flavonoids are also part of the polyphenolic compounds, that is why you can sometimes use the words "polyphenols" and "flavonoids" interchangeably.

The polyphenol level can vary depending on the way tea is harvested, processed and brewed. Apart from tea, the richest sources of polyphenols we can find are in fruits, vegetables and beverages such as juices, wine and coffee. But tea has about 8 to 10 times the polyphenols amount found in fruits and vegetables, according to the tea researcher John Weisburger, PhD, senior researcher at the Institute for Cancer prevention in Valhalla, N.Y.

Antioxidants
Polyphenols are a great source of antioxidants, which are one of the most important qualities we can find in tea. Antioxidants are believed:
- to help you fight against cardiovascular diseases (research suggest drinking 2 cups of tea per day helps you reduce risks of heart diseases and strokes, lower your cholesterol, and recover faster from heart attacks)
- to help you prevent different kinds of cancer
- to protect our cells in general from aging
- to burn fat (especially Green Tea)
- to improve your immune system

Apart from antioxidants, tea in general may help with all of these following aspects, but the four types of tea also have their own proper benefits :

Black Tea

Can boost your metabolism, thanks to the caffeine level it contains
Protects lungs from damage caused by exposure to cigarette smoke
Helps cure digestive disorders and is effective for intestinal derangement
Provides relief from asthma
Reduces bad cholesterol levels
Lowers diabetes: black tea contains the highest concentration of carbohydrates that prevent glucose absorption, making it the most effective for diabetics.

Oolong Tea
Oolong has many healing properties, as it is semi-oxidized (the oxidization degree can vary according to the oolong type). It contains more antioxydants than Black Tea. So the good thing about Oolong is that it contains both caffeine and antioxidants.

Oolong is believed to promote mental alertness with its moderate caffeine level
It encourages weight loss by boosting the metabolism up to 2 hours after the tea consumption. The polyphenols in Oolong can block enzymes that encourage the creation of fat
It also helps with digestion as its alkaline properties improve the digestive tract by reducing the inflammation in case of acid reflux or ulcer problems. It might even help get rid of bad bacteria in the stomach, as it is mildly antiseptic
It fights tooth decay and cavities
And improves the skin condition, as the antioxidants found in Oolong can help eliminate free radicals that are responsible for allergies and sensitivities such as eczema. Also, the antioxidants are essential for an energetic and more youthful skin.

Green Tea
Green Tea has probably the most diverse healing properties as it is one of the most antioxidant teas along with White Tea, since it has not been oxidized during its process. On top of most of the curative properties Black tea and Oolong have, Green Tea also helps to:

Maintain a healthy circulatory system
Strengthen tooth enamel
Do a natural detox: it is believed that the many antioxidants found in Green Tea play some role in helping cure and prevent illnesses such as : liver disease, genital warts, bacterial issues and a variety of cancers (breast, lung, stomach, pancreatic, colorectal...)
Combat allergies: according to the 2007 study published in the journal Cytotechnology, Green Tea may help you get some relief for allergies such as pollen, thanks to its EGCG content (epigallocatechin gallate, aka the antioxidant substance), which can reduce pollen allergies
Boost eyesight: the antioxidants can penetrate the tissues of the eyes and hence, allow the catechins (an antioxidant in green tea) to better be absorbed into the tissues of the eye. A study published in the journal Experimental Eye Research revealed Green Tea can prevent the apparition of cataract (see link here)
Protect you better from UV: the catechins that Green Tea contains, can make the skin more resistant to UV rays and reduce skin redness after UV exposure
Limit bad breaths: according to Israel's Institute of Technology, the polyphenols can destroy several of compounds in the mouth that can lead to bad breath. The polyphenols can destroy halitosis (which is most commonly known as "bad breath") through modification of odorant sulphur components.
Reduce risk of neurological disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease (according to a Swiss study)
Keeps bones strong
Maintain your weight

White Tea
White Tea is the least processed tea, and has the most antioxidant properties; so in a general manner it would be the mot potent to help cure cancers or other illnesses. White Tea helps:

Strengthening the immune system, and prevent bacterial infection
Fighting and killing cancer-causing cells
Restoring fluid balance (as it contains less caffeine, which is a diuretic, people can have the right effects of caffeine without completely be dehydrated)
Maintaining healthy and youthful skin

References on Tea: Organicfacts.net References for Antioxidants: GlobalHealingCenter
Lifehack.org   Wisegeek.org
Livestrong.com Livestrong.com
   MedicalDaily.com
  WebMd.com
  DailyMail.co.uk
  PacificCollege.edu