Did you know that most of the world enjoys drinking a steaming cup of tea? It all comes from a plant called Camellia sinensis, and the type of tea you get depends on how the leaves are treated after picking. The three types of teas made from Camellia Sinensis are black tea, oolong tea, and green tea. For centuries, people have believed tea is good for you, and now science is backing them up! An increasing amount of studies show how this tasty drink can actually improve your health. The leaves of this plant have been used in medicine for thousands of years.
Benefits of Black Tea
Black tea is made by exposing the leaves to fresh air, leading them to oxidize. The fresh air awakens the flavor of the leaves, making it strong. After airing the leaves, they are dried, sometimes whole or crushed, preserving them for use. Black tea contains powerful groups of polyphenols, including epigallocatechin gallate, theaflavins, thearubigins, an amino acid L-theanine, and several other catechins or flavonoids which are all components that provide protection against the onset of several chronic disorders.
According to a 2019 study, some of the benefits of drinking black tea are it helps lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and some cancers. It may also help lower blood sugar in patients coping with diabetes, and the antioxidants can help protect against cell damage.
Benefits of Oolong Tea
The way Oolong tea is processed falls somewhere in between the processes needed for black tea and green tea. Once the leaves are picked they are left to wither slightly and are only partially oxidized. It shares some ingredients with black tea, like catechins, a type of antioxidant also known as tannins that contribute to the characteristic dry or puckering taste. However, during oolong tea’s unique processing, some of these catechins transform into different compounds called theaflavins and thearubigins due to oxidation. This partial oxidation sets oolong apart from black tea, which undergoes full oxidation.
Oolong tea may help with weight loss. While studies suggest that oolong tea’s antioxidants, caffeine, and appetite-reducing properties may contribute to weight loss, simply drinking a few cups of tea daily isn’t a guaranteed path to shedding pounds. Recent research suggests tea may help by blocking enzymes that digest carbs and interact with gut bacteria in a way that promotes weight loss. Oolong tea may also help brain function and memory and promote tooth and bone strength.
Benefits of Green Tea
Green tea is packed with health benefits, thanks to compounds called polyphenols, making up about 30% of the dry weight of green tea leaves. The most important type of polyphenols is catechins, which are more abundant in green tea than other teas. Green tea has similar benefits to black tea and oolong tea. This is likely due to the presence of antioxidants called catechins in green tea. More research is needed to confirm all the potential health benefits of black, oolong, and green tea.