I think everybody knows what tea is and everybody drinks tea at least once in their life. But having our usual evening cuppa do we ever think about health benefits that tea gives to us? When I prepare tea I do not ever realise that I am about to tap into thousands of years of healing history. It is just an everyday drink that I used to drink since I was a child, my parents do the same and my children do it as well. It is a traditional beverage not only for my family and me, but for millions and millions of people in our diverse world. What does make tea so special, popular and much loved beverage in many countries in the world?

What is tea?

Tea is made by steeping dried parts of plant which Latin name is the Camellia Sinensis. The type of tea depends on the part of the plant used and manufacturing process. Usually leaves, stems or buds of the tea plant are used to produce tea. Camellia sinensis is a perennial evergreen plant originating in South China and areas to the east of China. It grows in tropical and sub-tropical climate and can grow into a tree if left unpruned. There are two main varieties of a tea plant that are cultivated to produce our favourite drink: the small-leaved China plant (Camellia sinensis sinensis); and the large-leaved Assam plant (Camellia sinensis assamica). The flavour of tea is affected by the soil, climate and cultivation. The most popular types of tea such as black tea, green tea, oolong tea and white tea are made from the same plant – Camellia sinensis – but processed and grown differently. Pu-erh tea, a double-fermented black tea, is also popular. Tea leaves are always harvested by hand to distinguish between the old and young leaves. Only the young leaves are harvested to be sold as tea to consumers. The term “herbal tea” means an infusion or tisane of fruits, buds, leaves or herbs and contains no Camellia sinensis.

Discovering a history

Tea was invented by the Chinese Emperor Shennong, who taught ancient China the practises of agriculture, about 5,000 years ago. It is considered that he was interested in tasting herbs to discover their qualities and medical value. The discovery happened when leaves from burning tea twigs carried up from the fire by the hot air accidently fell into the boiling water, which the emperor used to drink. The emperor was interested in the new liquid because it had a pleasing aroma, so he drank the infusion and discovered that it was very refreshing and had a delightful flavor. But it was considered as a medical beverage and only around 300 B.C. tea became an everyday drink in China. By the ninth century teas used by the Japanese as a calmant and the Buddhist priests created the famous Japanese ceremony of tea drinking. Nowadays there are so many various traditions of tea drinking in different countries from an everyday drink and a first beverage, which offered to a guest to complex, formal ceremonies and the high class social events. Despite thousands of years of it existing tea still remains one of the most popular beverages in the world.

How to drink tea

Nowadays, we tend to rush through life, so we haven’t got time for a relaxing cup of tea, but in doing that we lose one of the most crucial benefits. “The ceremony of tea is as important to its health benefits as what in the cup,” says Ayurvedic practitioner and founder of Pukka herbs Sebastian Pole. In fact, you should start a ritual of slow tea drinking. Brew it in a glass cup, watch the changing colours of the tea, let yourself to inhale the scent, then sip slowly, previously holding the tea in your mouth and rolling it round you tongue tasting all the tea has to offer. Tea like any warm drink will relax your body and the ritual of brewing tea help you become oblivious to all worries, disturbances and stress of everyday life.

To get the gorgeous drink you should know how to brew tea correctly. The temperature of water depends on the type of tea. The more fermented tea is the higher the temperature.

Loose tea or tea bags?

There is a big difference between loose tea and tea bags. Loose teas are usually made up of whole leaves or broken leaves, while tea bags are usually filled with fannings or dust. Raw tea leaves are usually graded from the best (the bud and the first two leaves of the shoot) to the worst (fannings). The whole-leaf tea has the best taste because the whole leaf has more surfaces for water to extract its substances into the water. You can also enjoy the beauty of the tea leaf unfolding in the cup during the brewing. The bag tea does not have much surface for this extraction in comparison with the loose tea and as a result you have the low quality infusion. Tea bags are easy and convenient in the use that make them popular for many people, but personally I prefer loose tea. I think, using tea bags you are telling yourself unconsciously that you are still in a hurry to live, but it is important to allow yourself to have a break from rushing, to relax a little, to have a relief from everyday stress.

Black tea

Black tea is one of the most favorite drinks in many countries worldwide. Sometimes we underestimate the health benefits of black tea in favour of green tea. Because of different processing black tea contains different antioxidants from green and more caffeine than less oxidized teas. The study suggests that drinking black tea may speed up our recovery from the daily stresses in life by cutting levels of the stress hormone cortisol circulating in the blood. Just one cup could reduce levels of cortisol by 30 per cent. “Although it does not appear to reduce the actual levels of stress we experience, tea does seem to have a greater effect in bringing stress hormone levels back to normal,” said lead researcher Professor Andrew Steptoe from University College London. “This has important health implications, because slow recovery following acute stress has been associated with a greater risk of chronic illnesses such as coronary heart disease.” By drinking black tea regularly you can reduce stroke risk and low risk of heart disease. Interestingly, a recent study shows that black tea (also green tea and oolong tea) contains quite a big amount of vitamin C.

The brewing water temperature should be at boiling point about 100*C to develop the many of active substances in black tea. Except for very delicate Darjeeling teas, in this case, the temperature should be slightly lower. It is also recommended that teapot be warmed before brewing. Steeping time is usually 2-3 minutes no less than 30 seconds and no more than 5 minutes.

The popular varieties of black tea are the Assam tea, the Darjeeling tea, the black Ceylon tea.

Green tea

There is no doubt that green tea shows amazing health benefits such as reduces risk of cardiovascular diseases, boosts the immune system, helps people with skin disorders, protects against tooth decay. What does make green tea so staggering? The secret is that it is very rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which is a powerful anti-oxidant. It inhibits the growth of cancer cells, kills cancer cells, lowers bad cholesterol levels and also inhibits the abnormal formation of blood clots. Green tea has the ability to fight food poisoning because its antibacterial properties. To get the most from your drink you can add lemon juice in the infusion in order to increase the catechin absorption. Why green tea stays apart from other teas and has such a good amount of catechins? Because the way it is processed. Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized. By contrast, black and oolong tea leaves are made from fermented leaves, which results in the EGCG being converted into other compounds that are not nearly as effective in preventing and fighting various diseases.

Recommended brewing temperature is about 80-85* C; the higher the quality of leaves, the lower the temperature. Preferably the steeping container should be warmed. You can also have several infusions (up to 5-6). The third infusion is considered the best.

White tea

White tea is made of the buds of tea leaf, when they are still covered in very fine, white hair. It is only very gently dried. Because of this careful handling, white tea buds still have the same high concentration of antioxidants as fresh tea leaves. The leaves and buds are withered over a few hours, and then air dried. The leaves are not fermented at all. White tea is very rare, and can be much more expensive than other teas. Properly brewed white tea has a pale, slightly golden color, not unlike white wine. The scent is light and fresh, and the taste is mild and silky with a subtle, sweet aftertaste with no «grassy» aftertaste of green tea.

In fact, there is no tea with a stronger concentration of antioxidants than white tea. The antioxidants in white tea are known as catechins. Catechins have been called super-antioxidants. They neutralize harmful fats and oils, which lowers the cholesterol and blood pressure. They block cancer-triggering mechanisms, inhibit bacteria and viruses, improve digestion and protect against ulcers, strokes and diabetes. Some studies declare that teas speed up the rate of metabolism and have antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Possible health risks

All teas contain caffeine but less than coffee. Caffeine can stimulate insomnia and nervousness in sensitive individuals. Also it can reduce the ability to utilize iron from your food, so if you prone to anemia you should not drink too much tea, especially high-antioxidant teas like green tea.

Some tea bags may content epichlorohydrine, which used to strength a wet paper. This chemical is considered to be carcinogenic.

Hot drinking temperature is associated with a higher risk of esophageal cancer, especially after 2-3 minutes or less after pouring hot water. It is recommended consuming tea at least 4 minutes after pouring.

Additives to tea

Adding milk to tea is a tradition of drinking tea in some countries. When you should add milk before – brewing or after is a debatable topic. It is thought that milk neutralize tannins and reduce acidity. The addition of milk can cool tea during the brewing time, so the flavor of good quality tea cannot be fully tasted. If you add milk after steeping tea, you can control the desired amount of added milk better by observing the colour of the tea. Some recent European studies shows that milk can reduce some beneficial effects of tea in protection from cardiovascular disease, because milk casein binds to the molecules in tea that help arteries relax, especially EGCG catechins. Milk also blocks anti-cancer effect of green tea. Normally, green tea is consumed without milk. Milk binds tannins in black tea rendering the negative effect those ones. Soya milk does not contain casein, so it does not have certain effect on tea as ordinary milk.

Drinking tea with citrus such as lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit can add benefit to catechin absorption into a blood stream.

You can also add to tea sugar, fruit jam, honey, mint, even whiskey or brandy it depends on your wish, taste and tradition.