Different Types of Teas and their Benefits

Different Types of Teas and their Benefits 

Do you love drinking tea? Are you aware of the miraculous health benefits of drinking tea? Probably not. Readout more to find out the health benefits associated with drinking tea. 
 

Tea is amongst the most widely consumed beverage across the globe.  It is considered a key ingredient to health, happiness, and wisdom in the East and has caught significant attention of the researchers in the west who have succeeded in discovering miraculous health benefits associated with drinking tea. 
 

Benefits of Drinking Tea 

Drinking tea is associated with plenty of health benefits such as controlling diabetes, aiding in weight loss, lowering cholesterol levels, treating cancer, and much more. It boosts your energy levels and keeps you mentally and physically healthy and active. 
 

Irrespective of the fact that for how long you have to steep tea to gain maximum benefit from it or how much you need to drink in a day, nutritionists have agreed that any tea is right for your health. Brewed teas are always preferred over bottled ones to avoid extra calories and sweeteners. 
 

Difference Between Herbal and Traditional Teas 
 

There lies a difference between herbal teas and traditional teas. Herbal teas are not true teas and shouldn’t be confused with them. 

Traditional teas are brewed from the Camellia Sinensis plant leaves, which is a famous shrub native to China and India. It contains unique antioxidants called flavonoids. True teas include: 

  • Green tea 
  • White tea 
  • Black tea 
  • Oolong tea 

Contrarily, herbal teas are made of dried fruits, flowers, spices, or herbs. Herbal teas offer a wide range of tastes and flavors and are the best alternatives to sugary beverages. They are not only delicious but also come with plenty of health benefits. They have proven to be a natural remedy for a variety of ailments for hundreds of years. Herbal teas include: 
 

  • Peppermint Tea 
  • Ginger Tea 
  • Rooibos Tea 
  • Lemon Balm tea 

And a few others. 

Let’s discover some of the best teas that you can consume during the day and highlight the health benefits of drinking these teas. 
 

Green Tea 

Loaded with powerful antioxidants and essential nutrients, green tea is a healthy beverage that you can add to your daily routine. It is the most popular tea in the market. Green tea contains the highest number of antioxidants among other teas. Once it is brewed, it is mild greenish-yellow in color and offers a unique and sweet aroma. The tea leaves are least oxidized. That's why the tea made from them is light in color. 

Health Benefits of Green Tea 

Here are some of the research-based health benefits of drinking green tea. 

  • Improves Brain Functioning 

Green tea contains known stimulant caffeine. Research claims that caffeine improves brain functioning by improving your moods, vigilance, reaction time, and memory. Additionally, green tea also contains L-theanine, an essential amino acid, and helps cross the blood-brain barrier. 
 

  • Lowers the Risk of Cancers 

Green tea contains certain antioxidants that help in reducing the risk of certain cancers, such as: 
 

  • Breast cancer 
  • Prostate cancer 
  • Colorectal cancer 
  • Prevents Type-2 Diabetes 

Drinking green tea plays a role in decreasing the risk of type-2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity. 
 

  • Helps in Losing Weight 

Drinking green tea can help in achieving your weight loss goals. It helps in reducing body fat, especially in the abdominal area. However, drinking green tea is not enough. You have to add regular exercise along with drinking green tea. 
 

  • Keeps You Heart Healthy 

Drinking green tea lowers the risk of heart diseases. It controls blood pressure and lowers harmful cholesterol levels. That's how it helps in keeping your heart healthy and reducing the impact of heart diseases. 
 

White Tea 

White tea is delicate, uncured, and unfermented tea. It has the most potent anticancer properties as compared to other processed teas.  
 

Health Benefits of White Tea 

Here are the health benefits associated with drinking white tea. 

  •  Helps in Preventing Cancer 

White tea reduces the risk of cancers by hindering DNA mutations (cancer-causing changes in the genetic material). White tea acts as a potent inhibitor of aberrant crypts, which is a precursor to colon cancer. 
 

  • Protects Your Teeth from Bacteria 

White is the best source of fluoride, tannins, and catechins. A combination of these molecules helps in strengthening your teeth by fighting against bacteria and sugar. Fluoride helps in preventing dental cavities, and catechins inhibit the growth of plaque bacteria. 

  • Can be Beneficial During Pregnancy 

White tea contains powerful antioxidants that help in cell protection from the enhanced oxidative damage caused during pregnancy. However, do consult your doctor before drinking white tea during pregnancy because it contains caffeine, which may be harmful to the unborn as he/she cannot metabolize the caffeine. 
 

  • Improves Skin and Hair Health 

The antioxidants present in green tea play their role in strengthening the connective tissues and reduce allergies like eczema and dandruff. These antioxidants also help in dealing with hair-related problems, especially hair loss. 
 

Black Tea 

Apart from water, black tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world. It contains more caffeine than other teas, which enhances its flavor and taste.  
 

Health Benefits of Black Tea 

Let’s discuss the health benefits that are associated with drinking black tea. 

  • Boosts Heart Health 

Black tea contains powerful antioxidants called flavonoids that are beneficial for the health of your heart. These flavonoids reduce the risks of heart diseases, control blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, and control obesity. 
 

  • Improves Gut Health 

Gut health is significantly associated with the overall health of your body. It contains trillions of bacteria and about 80% of your immune system. Black tea contains antimicrobial properties that kill harmful substances and play a role in improving gut bacteria. It also helps improve immunity by repairing the lining in the digestive tract. 

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Black tea contains caffeine and L-theanine (an amino acid), which improves your focus and alertness. L-theanine helps in increasing the alpha activity of the brain resulting in relaxation and enhanced focus. 

Rooibos Tea 

Rooibos Tea is widely consumed in southern Africa. It is also known as red tea and comes from fermented leaves of the Aspalathus linearis, a famous shrub native to South Africa. Rooibos tea comes with a nutty flavor. 

Health Benefits of Black Tea 

Let’s discuss some of the health benefits of drinking rooibos tea. 

  • Rich in Antioxidants 

Rooibos tea contains a high amount of health-promoting antioxidants such as aspalathin, and quercetin. These antioxidants are incredibly helpful in protecting cells from damage caused by free radicals. In the long-run, these antioxidants reduce the risk of heart diseases and cancer. 
 

  • Helps in Reducing Wrinkles 

If you apply rooibos tea topically, it improves the appearance of your skin by reducing wrinkles. Tea and rooibos mixture has proven to be most effective in reducing wrinkles and giving your skin a refreshing look. 

  • Alleviates Pain 

Powerful antioxidants in rooibos tea help in reducing inflammation and feelings of aches and pain. It contains anti-spasmodic compounds that alleviate abdominal pain by activating potassium ions in the body. Additionally, it can also aid in getting rid of the painful symptoms of arthritis. 

  • Keeps Your Bones Strong 

Rooibos tea contains minerals such as manganese, calcium, and fluoride, making your bones strong. These minerals play a vital role in enhancing osteoblast cells' activity, which helps build bone mass. 
 

Final Word 

Drinking tea is associated with several health benefits. Drinking tea boosts your energy levels, makes your bones strong, alleviates the impacts of pain, reduces the risks of cancer, keeps your heart healthy, and comes up with plenty of other health benefits. 
 

Develop a habit of drinking at least 2-3 cups of different teas in a day. No matter which tea you are drinking, you will undoubtedly experience an improvement in your overall health. 

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