Health Benefits of Tea

As if the plethora of different aromas and nuances wasn’t enough to keep us enamored with our cups of tea, the enormous amount of health benefits that we receive from the steeped leaves only further proves why we should continue to carry on consuming the beverage as often as we like.  Contrary to what some marketing campaigns would like us to believe, all teas, ranging from aged pu-erhs to delicate whites, possess unique constituents which allow us to reap benefits by drinking a single cup or several.  Although the specific benefits absorbed from each tea may be slightly different, each tea offers a varying degree of different polyphenols or antioxidants that do our bodies a lot of good.

All tea (Camellia Sinensis) contains potent antioxidants, or polyphenols, including catechins and theaflavins.  These guys work to repair damaged cells and mend free radicals inside the body.  These antioxidants aid in the prevention of heart disease, stroke, cancers, and aging, including wrinkles and eye disease, to name a few.  Green and Black tea both contain a similar amount of polyphenols, yet Green tea appears to contain more catechins while Black has more theaflavins, both of which exclusively offer benefits to our health.  In addition to polyphenols, all types of tea also possess good amounts of vitamins and minerals including: vitamins C & E, zinc, fluoride, and calcium, each of which are vital to overall health and good immune support.

Beyond its antioxidant capacity, tea embodies other beneficial components.  Among them is a unique amino acid known as L-theanine, found exclusively in tea.  L-theanine works to soothe the body and mind thereby eliminating the jitteriness associated with caffeine intake.  Because of L-theanine, we are able to receive an energetic push from the caffeine while remaining calm, focused, and serene.  No wonder Buddhist monks, the earliest tea drinkers, found it much easier to meditate after consuming a cup of tea!  This amino acid is also responsible for allowing our body and mind to relax thus relieving stresses and woes.

As you can see, all tea embodies the potential for a happier and healthier you.  The more you drink the better you are and feel, so come on in today to find your next favorite tea and indulge in nature’s “golden elixir.”

Trivia Contest

Of the many varieties of tea, which specific (hint) tea contains the most possible health benefits?  Answer correctly and come in for a free cup of this potent beverage.  We’ll explain why this tea is so powerful in a future blog, so stay posted!

Sources:

Black and Green Tea:  How do they differ?.  02.23.2007.  In Tea Advisory Panel’s Health Facts. Retrieved from https://www.teaadvisorypanel.com/facts

Kakuzu, Okakura.  “The Book of Tea”.  (1906).  Accessed via:  https://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/tea.htm 27 July 2011.
Moore, Rebecca. “Both Green and Black Teas Provide Health Benefits”.  University of Florida IFAS Extension. University of Florida.  (n.d.).  Web.  28 July 2011.

Tea and Health 2013 The Latest Mim Beim.  (n.d.).  In  The Tea Centre’s Fact Sheets. Retrieved from https://www.theteacentre.com.au/pages/TEA-AND-HEALTH-–-the-latest—-MIM-BEIM.html