Ever hear the phrase "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"? Well the same goes for a cup of tea.
You know doubt of heard or read about it many times...tea is good for you. Tea is rich in antioxidants which are known to fight against cancer. Green tea in recent years has grabbed this spotlight, showing its wonderful light yellowish-green colors which are loaded with these cancer fighters.
White tea is making an appearance too with some studies showing that it is even more powerful than its green tea sibling. But that does not mean the more common cup of black tea is ruled out for it too has these same properties.
While it is true that the less processing and oxidation a tea leaf goes through, the more it keeps these properties. But drinking any type of tea will help boost your immune system. Three to four cups a day should do the trick.
The goodies that are floating around in a cup of tea...
Antioxidants are more commonly known, and are found in a lot of foods. Peas, carrots, spinach, broccoli, escarole (my favorite), tomatoes, apples...the list grows. They are also found in tea, and in a nice abundance too! When the thought of what makes tea so good pops to mind, the usual answer is antioxidants. That is correct, but there is more.
Catechins consist of powerful antioxidants, bioflavonoids, and polyphenols. These are what make tea so special in the areas of health benefits. Catechins make up about 30 percent of the dry weight of tea, and are released in the cup after about two to three minutes of brewing.
Studies show that catechins can help fight tumors as well as boost the immune system due to its antibacterial properties.
White tea is the best source for catechins as well as green tea. Oolong and black teas contain less since they go through more processing, but not significantly less. Other good sources of catechins are chocolate, apples, berries, beans, and even a glass of red wine.
Important note! To get the most catechin benefits from tea, loose leaf tea is the way to go.
A cup of tea also contains caffeine. About 3 percent of the dry weight is made up of this stimulant. We all know that too much caffeine is never good, but when compared to coffee tea has less; with black tea containing the most, and white tea having the least.
