Tea is more than just a tasty beverage, it is a way of life; tea drinkers all over the world swear by it. With lower caffeine content per serving than coffee, tea, the most widely consumed beverage in the world can safely be considered the healthier of the two. Tea is filled with antioxidants and possesses many potential cancer-fighting properties. Polyphenols, theaflavins and thearibigins are present in the different brews of tea, and are all potent antioxidants and help to prevent DNA damage from occurring in cells.

History

All you tea lovers out there have one person to thank for the beverage that forms the cornerstone of their lives, Emperor Sheng Nung, the Emperor of China was the man who discovered tea. According to legend, the Emperor, who was also a divine healer, was boiling water when accidentally a few leaves from a wild tea plant fell into the pot of boiling water. He noticed the enchanting scent and rich flavour and that is how tea was discovered.

Different types of tea

The leaves of the species of plant Camellia sinensis is used for making the different types of tea that are available today. The different types of organic tea arise from the different methodologies involved in the harvesting and drying of the leaves of the tea plant. Herbal teas, on the other hand, don’t have much to do with tea and are instead infusions of parts like flowers and roots of other plants. Herbal teas also have numerous benefits and are known for their unique flavour and taste.

The different types of tea, differentiated on the basis of the process of harvesting and drying that is followed are:

• White Tea
• Green Tea
• Oolong Tea
• Black Tea

As a general rule, the darker the tea, the more processing it has gone through which implies that less nutrients remain in the tea.

Beneficial properties of tea

Each of the different types of tea differs not only in their methods of processing but also in the benefits. Tea contains plenty of antioxidants as well as minerals such as manganese, potassium and calcium. Tea also has vitamin content, especially the vitamins A, C, E and vitamin K. In general, tea is said to:

• Reduce risk of arthritis is older women
• Increase bone density
• Help to avoid cataracts
• Reduce the risk of heart disease

 Here are the benefits of Organic tea segregated by the type of tea:

1. White Tea

 This type of tea is the rarest type of tea and is therefore, the most expensive. It is prepared from young leaves of the tea tree and they are picked before the buds have opened completely. Due to the nature of leaves used in white tea, it is very time consuming and expensive to harvest.

The benefits of rare white tea include:

• Helping to build the immune system
• Helps to avoid cavities and tooth decay
• Has cancer-fighting properties

2. Green Tea

Green tea has recently gained a lot of popularity for its many health benefits. It is prepared from by picking the leaf bud along with two of the leaves at the top. These leaves are then withered and dried to preserve the leaves without losing many of the beneficial properties associated with them.

Green tea has a wide variety of benefits associated with it, some of which are:

• Filled with antioxidants
• Helps to reduce high blood pressure
• Helps to prevent viral infections
• Helps slow down aging process

3. Oolong Tea

 A traditional Chinese tea that differs from the preparation of green tea in that these leaves are put through a mild fermentation process before they are dried or roasted. It also possesses many beneficial properties.

The mildly fermented oolong tea has a wide variety of benefits including:

• Strong antioxidant properties
• Reduces the risk of high blood pressure
• Helps to reduce cholesterol

4. Black Tea

This is the most popular variant of tea and is also most commonly available. The leaves first undergo a fermentation process which causes them to change their colour from green to copper and then they are completely oxidized and dried. Due to the complete oxidation they are stronger in flavour.

The most common type of tea is not without its benefits, some of which are:

• Helps to expand arteries, thereby increasing blood flow
• Possesses cancer-fighting powers
• Prevents dental cavities

With the many benefits of teas and the positivity that adding one cup of tea to your daily intake of nutrients can add to your life, if you haven’t started already, it is about time you developed a tea habit. Choosing organic ensures that you get only the best products in the market and that each tea leaf is pure and free of synthetic chemicals. Begin your new, healthy lifestyle here.