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Dr Russ Blog - Going "Green" with Tea
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Going "Green" with Tea
Created on 5/27/2008
Tea is one of the most popular beverages in the world, and in recent years we've heard that enjoying tea on a regular basis may be good for us. There are a variety of teas available to us, and making a choice while trying to be good to ourselves can get confusing.
True tea comes from the plant Camellia sinensis. The 4 major types of tea differ not only in color and taste, but also in potential health benefits, especially as relates to antioxidant content. With regard to this latter point, the focus is usually on a polyphenol called epigallocatechin-gallate, or EGCG.
The best brief description of tea types I've seen comes from my mentor, Dr. Andrew Weil, and can be found on his web site (http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA82788) - to paraphrase:
Black tea: leaves are oxidized, reducing antioxidant content
Oolong tea: degree of processing mid-way between black and green
Green tea: only slightly processed, maintaining antioxidant potential
White tea: least processed, thus possessing the highest antioxidant
capacity
The potential to obtain health benefits from drinking tea is real for any of the 4 major types of tea, but the less processed forms seem to have the most promise.
While some debate continues regarding possible health benefits associated with tea drinking, most medical experts believe there are rich research data supporting a role for tea drinking as part of a healthy lifestyle for most people. Much of the scientific literature points to antioxidant, anti-cancer, and even mild cholesterol-lowering actions of tea. Of note, adding milk to your tea may negate some of the potential health benefits, while adding citrus juice may increase them.
In the East, making tea has long been an honored tradition in the form of the tea ceremony. I have had the privilege of experiencing a tea ceremony firsthand, and I can tell you it changed the way I enjoy tea. While I'm not always mindful when making my tea, I do hold the cup in my hands to feel the warmth, look into the water to appreciate it's color (green is my preferred tea), and then gently sip, savoring the flavor, as well as the little bit of time I've given myself to the making and enjoying of a favored, and potentially healthy, traditional beverage.
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