Health's in the Tea Bag

Well, okay, we might be slightly overstating the benefits of tea, but not by as much as you’d think; science continues to reveal just how potent the beverage is. And popular: Last year marked the 13th consecutive year that tea sales increased, according to the Tea Association of the USA, which represents the industry.

This steady increase in tea consumption is likely linked to a slew of studies showing that drinking tea can significantly improve your health. Tea has been shown to slow tumor growth in cancers of the skin, lungs, mouth, esophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, small intestine, colon and prostate, according to a review of multiple studies reported in the January 2005 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Other research demonstrates tea’s effect on heart health—a study in the January 2003 Preventive Medicine found that people who drink more than six cups daily had significantly less heart disease than non-tea drinkers.

While pretty much any leaf or flower steeped in boiling water can be called tea, real tea comes from a single bush, Camellia sinensis. Although all real tea, especially green tea, contains powerful disease fighting antioxidants, white tea—though rare in the West—may be even more effective than its cousins. “White tea has been processed less than green tea, so its antioxidants are more intact,” says Milton Schiffenbauer, PhD, a professor of biology at Pace University in New York and one of the few scientists studying white tea.

Schiffenbauer’s research has revealed other benefits in white tea too. He tested its effects on the bacteria that cause dental cavities and found white tea to be a powerful antibacterial and antiviral agent. “For example,” he says, “when I add regular toothpaste to a virus, it kills around 5 or 6 percent of the virus. When I add white tea to the toothpaste, it kills 95 percent. The numbers are mind-boggling.” While his research has focused on toothpastes and gum, Schiffenbauer recommends drinking white tea to gain the same antibacterial benefits.

Real Camellia sinensis teas aren’t the only leafy brews that are beneficial to your health. In a study published in Radiation Research in 1999, the antioxidants in “red tea”—also called rooibos after the bush it grows on—showed liver-protecting abilities, and anecdotal evidence suggests that rooibos eases stomachaches and insomnia. Gaining the health benefits from either real tea or its red cousin is easy. Mohr suggests simply drinking a few cups per day (try starting with three). However, he says, "This is one case where more is better."

Varie-Teas
Variations in how tea leaves are processed account for the different types. The flavor is often determined by how much time passes between when the leaves are picked and when they’re dried. Here’s a primer:

Black
Black tea leaves go through the most steps. First the leaves are withered and oxidized for two weeks or more, then they’re dried. Black tea is more concentrated—and caffeinated— than other varieties. A cup can contain anywhere from 25–110 mg of caffeine (a cup of coffee contains 100–135 mg).

Green
Green tea is among the least processed. Leaves are steamed and then dried within one to two days of being picked so they retain much of their color and healthful antioxidant content—and have relatively little caffeine.

White
Although white tea is fairly new to America, everyone from the ritziest gourmet stores to your local supermarket is starting to sell it. White tea is made from the buds of tea leaves, which are covered in fine, silver-white “hair.” It’s minimally processed, like green tea, and has a super-light, delicate flavor.

Oolong
Called semi-black tea, oolong lies somewhere between green and black in terms of the amount of processing it goes through— and the amount of caffeine and antioxidants it contains. It has a mild black-tea flavor.

Red
Red tea isn’t really tea at all because the leaves come from the rooibos plant (pronounced roy-buss, which means “red bush”), which only grows in a small area of South Africa. It’s naturally caffeine free and has a full, rich, fruity flavor.

Herbal
Often called tisanes because they contain no real tea (unlike flavored black or green teas), herbal “teas” are brewed from dried leaves or flowers, such as mint, chamomile, verbena and lemongrass. Tisanes can also be made from medicinal plants, such as dandelion and peppermint, which have healing properties.