At some point, maybe you've heard that tea has an infinite amount of benefits and indeed, it is! So if you want to know them, keep reading.
· Green tea
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Time of day: anytime
Caffeine: medium
Best consumed: hot
Green tea is a non-fermented tea. It is obtained by drying the leaves of the plant, just after harvest. Then, they are cooked and steamed, in order to avoid the oxidation process (fermentation).
If we focus on its properties, it highlights, above all, its antioxidant power, which is given thanks to the catechins and polyphenols. Consuming green tea regularly helps to lose weight, strengthens the heart, prevents different types of cancer, reduces "bad" cholesterol, regulates the level of insulin in blood, protects and strengthens gums and teeth, and promotes mental concentration.
· Black tea
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Perhaps it is less known and consumed than green, red and white, but, undoubtedly, black tea enjoys a good reputation among the tea faithful. It is achieved by fermenting, in its entirety, the leaves of the Camellia assamica variety. When going through an oxidation process, its aroma is greater than the rest, although so is its caffeine content.
According to recent studies, there is a connection between the consumption of black tea and the rate of type 2 diabetes. Likewise, its complex flavonoids benefit and reinforce the immune system, prevent arteriosclerosis, protect the cardiovascular system and help the non-oxidation of HDL cholesterol .
Now you know. Forget about all those drinks and sodas laden with empty calories and delve into the healthy world of tea, be it green, red, white or black. Your body will thank you.
· Red tea
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Known as the "fat-burning tea", red tea is a semi-fermented tea. It is obtained thanks to a very long fermentation process, which usually lasts for several years (usually from 2 to 3, although some reach up to 60 years), because, like wine, the more years, more quality and benefits contributes
Apart from fighting against overweight and being satiating, red tea reduces blood cholesterol, cleanses and detoxifies the body and promotes digestion.
· White tea
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Many do not know, but white tea is the most antioxidant tea of all, it contains triple the polyphenols that green tea. In spite of being the most expensive to produce, its production process is really simple: the buds of the plant are collected and left to dry for long periods of time. Therefore, white is a non-fermented tea. From it you get an infusion of pale green color, with a fleeting white halo (hence its name).
Its antioxidant power is not its only virtue. Its habitual intake combats physical and mental fatigue, increases the body's defenses, is diuretic, favors the elimination of fats, reduces the level of cholesterol and triglycerides in blood and, thanks to its high fluoride content, shields our oral health. And last but not least, it has half as much caffeine as green tea.
10 benefits of drinking tea:
- Is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are chemical compounds that are responsible for combating other molecules, such as free radicals, thanks to this, it is an ally to prevent chronic diseases, as well as problems of premature aging of the skin.
- It could help prevent cancer. In an investigation carried out by the McGill University in Montreal (Canada), it was found that the antioxidants contained in tea could help reduce the risk of prostate cancer. Another analysis showed a decrease of up to 18% in lung cancer.
- Heart health. It's high content of antioxidants make it an ally to regulate the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood and prevent it from being installed in the blood vessels. Thanks to this, it is considered that the regular consumption of green tea can decrease the cardiac risks and other problems related to cardiovascular health.
- Thanks to its content in flavonoids it is useful to improve the capacity of both dilatation and contraction of blood vessels.
- Prevents formation of cavities.
- It is an exceptional diuretic, which stimulates the natural elimination of toxins and prevents fluid retention.
- It is highly digestive, since it stimulates the production of gastric acid, accelerates the liver metabolism and therefore the release of bile salts.
- It helps to lose weight, since it stimulates the hepatic metabolism, accelerates elimination of fats, likewise, it helps to prevent the fatty liver (which is usually associated with overweight).
- It prevents you from suffering from infections and helps fight mental and physical fatigue.
- Contains L-theanine, a substance related to a calm mental state in humans.
Sources:
- Tea consumption and health: beneficial characteristics and properties of this ancient beverage (2004)
- The cytogenetic effects of black tea and green tea on cultured human lymphocytes (2011)
- White tea (Camellia sinensis) extract reduces oxidative stress and triacylglycerols in obese mice
- Evaluation of the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of green tea (Camellia sinensis) in mice