The Differences among Different Variety of Tea

Tea is a popular drink, and it has many health benefits. However, when you stand in the tea section of the supermarket, you can see a wide variety of choices. What makes them different?

True tea is from a bush that originated in China. There are several different types, depending on processing and when it is picked.

White Tea: This tea is harvested while the leaf buds are still immature. They have fine, silky hairs, unlike the other types of tea. It's also the least processed, so it contains more nutrients.

Green Tea: The leaves are quickly dried upon harvesting to prevent oxidation. There may be many health benefits for green tea, including reducing the chance of developing hardening of the arteries and lowering cholesterol.

Black Tea: Oxidation of the leaves is allowed when processing black tea, it is what gives it the full bodied flavor. It, too, has many health benefits. Like green tea, it may help lower cholesterol, and reduce the likelihood of atherosclerosis. It may also help decrease the dizziness some people feel when they first stand up.

Oolong Tea: The benefits are the same, though the taste is not. This is somewhere between green and black, so the leaves are partially oxidized.

Pu-erh Tea: Many people in the West are unfamiliar with this product. The tea leaves are allowed to develop a mold on the leaves. It probably doesn't have the same health benefits of the other types.

A lot of people call herbal infusions "herbal tea." It has become an acceptable term, though it is actually a misnomer. There are dozens of different combinations, each offering different benefits. That's the good news. When selecting them, I do recommend some caution. Some herbs do interact with medications, and they are just as likely to have side effects as medications. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if the tea you select will cause problems if you do take prescription medicines.

Information about White Tea

All teas contain a high level of antioxidants; however white tea antioxidants are higher than in other types of teas. The high antioxidant level in the tea is caused by sunlight. Green plants get energy to grow from sunlight and chlorophyll, but sunlight can also be damaging to them. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation can be especially harmful to plants and antioxidants basically help protect plants from this possible damage.

Where do antioxidants come from? Living cells of plants can be destroyed as the plants are trying to protect themselves from the harmful sunlight rays. Free radicals are created in leaf cells by the UV radiation in direct sunlight. Animals are born with advanced immune systems that protect them from these free radicals, but plants are not. Plants instead produce chemicals (called phytonutrients) to protect themselves, antioxidants being the most important ones.

There is more to the process of antioxidant activity, such as searching for free radicals (chemicals created by sunlight hitting the plant leaves). The antioxidants attack the free radical cells and may kill them, causing the plants to age and sometimes catch diseases. Free radical activity is limited by the antioxidants. Since antioxidants are present in high amounts in white tea plants, it takes a lot of balance to keep the plants alive as this battle is ongoing.

There are many antioxidants contain in this tea, most from the catechin family, including epicatechin, epicatechin gallate and epigallocatechin. EGCG, or epigallocatechin gallate, is the most prominent antioxidant. Nearly half of the antioxidant is comprised of EGCG and it is a very potent ingredient. Laboratory tests have determined that EGCG is able to be 100 times more active than vitamins A & C. A cup of white tea is believed to have more antioxidants in it than a serving of broccoli, spinach, strawberries and other healthy vegetables and fruits. This is a perfect example of white tea antioxidants at work.

White tea antioxidants are mostly present in strong quantities because of the EGCG contained in it. EGCG has been proven to reduce several health ailments and diseases such as skin, lung and breast cancers. It also reduces the risk of serious conditions such as stroke, heart disease and diabetes. EGCG can also slow the aging process, prolonging youthfulness and health in the consumer.

White tea is the least processed of all teas so during the harvesting process the healthy antioxidants remain in stronger quantities than in other types of teas. The leaves are comprised of more than 30 percent of healthy antioxidants.

The antioxidants present in white tea help fight off many diseases and conditions, making it one of the healthiest teas to consume. Its preventative qualities are just an added benefit to this delicious choice of beverage. White tea antioxidants are important to maintain good health and reducing health risks.

Tea from China

My grandma had a saying which is seldom heard nowadays "I wouldn't do that for all the tea in China!" she would say when pushed to do something that she did not want to do. I guess it arose at a time when tea from China was rare and the preserve of the rich and was something that the masses did not have access to. The many different types of Chinese tea have become increasingly common in everyday life, with many people choosing them because of their potential benefits to health. There are many different varieties of Chinese tea. Some of the most common types are briefly described below. In future articles, I will describe some of the health giving properties that each type is reputed to confer.

Green Teas
The main regions of China that produce the different types of Green Tea are Henan, Anhui, Yunnan and Fujian. Green tea is a great source of pleasure and, if the research is to be believed, health to humans. With just two or three cups a day you can feel a difference in your body and mind. It is said to clean the toxins from the body while assisting many organs to achieve a better overall condition. Its benefits have been recognized for thousands of years while combining a great taste and aroma. It has many different types and tastes. Green tea is a wonderful introduction into the joys of Tea Culture.

Oolong teas
The Main Oolong tea producing regions are Northern Fujian and Taiwan. Oolong is increasingly popular. It has fresh taste and is a believed also to be an excellent source of medical nutrients. Oolong is usually served as small broken leaves like small green trees. Once they come in contact with water expand quite substantially and give a great aroma of freshness and a sweet and taste. Oolong not only tastes great but with just 2 or 3 cups a day you could benefit from its many health properties.

White Teas
The main regions of China for white tea are Northern and Southern Fujian and Hunan Province. White tea is perhaps the most natural form of tea. It is only made from the buds, when they are in their most tender form. Like green tea, white teas have neither processing nor the fermentation stage of most teas. A rare drink and a wonderful subtle taste developed by the Kings and Queens of ancient China.

Pu-erh Teas
Yunnan is the main region producing this fine tea. You will see it spelt in a whole variety of different ways, Puerrh, Pu-erh and so on but whichever way it is spelt, it is nevertheless the great "connoisseur Tea". Pu-erh has a unique taste and also famous as a medicinal Tea - research has found many beneficial compounds within this tea variety. It is a treat and like a good wine it should be drunk slowly, while the leaves settle down in the cup. The similarities to wine do not end there - the rule with Pu-erh tea is the older the better. Some of the best teas are more than fifty years old. It has a strong brown color and distinctive liquorish taste. A must for any tea enthusiast to try!

Flower teas
Flower teas are produced in many regions of China - Fujian, Fuzhou, Suzhou, Nanjing in Jiangsu province, Hangzhou and Jinhua in Zhejiang province, and in Sinchuan, Jiangsi, Anhui, and Hebei provinces. Flower teas are teas to drink at any time of day and they also go well with meals. For an extra touch of sweetness you can even add some sugar, although make sure it is always in crystal form as opposed to granulated. Also known as Jasmine tea, Flower teas have many different types and tastes. Most are sweet and are alleged to clean out toxins while offering a great taste. As the name implies flower tea blossoms in the cup while offering that wonderful exquisite aroma.

What is White Tea?

White tea sounds rather fabulous, and indeed it is, for this tea consists of nothing but buds, which are covered with whitish hairs. A rare tea produced only in China, chiefly in Fujian province, it originally came from wild mountain trees. The connoisseurs seem to have been seeking the ultimate, and tender younger leaves were not fine enough for them, so they sought to get the leaves while they were still more delicate, before they have even burst from the bud.

The Song dynasty "Tea Emperor" Hui Zong wrote that white tea has the rarest and most delicate flavor. He called it a special kind different from all others, but some people now consider it a form of green tea.

White tea has now become more widely available, often sold as Silvery Tip Pekoe, a form of its traditional name, and now also under the simpler designations China White and Fujian White. Its main area of production is Jianyang County in northern Fujian province.

When the buds are fully grown in spring, just before they open, they are plucked from the ends of the branches, along with a few attached leaves, Buds an inch long are picked out for first quality tea. The leaves are from two strains, Shui Hsien (Water Sprite) and Dai Bai (Dabai, Big White).

Rolling and fermenting are not part of this tea's processing. The leaves are de-enzymized by steaming under the sun light. When they are infused, the buds stand upright like a forest of stalagmites in the cup. The pale yellow brew has mellow, sweet taste.

The smaller buds and leaves become raw material for the Pai Mu Tan (Baimudan, White Peony) and Show Mee (Shoumei, Longevity Eye-brow) varieties. The bulk White Peony looks like a lot of tiny bouquets, with clusters of small round white flowers surrounded by gray-green leaves. They produce a clear orange-yellow beverage. This is also a rare tea. The Show Mee silvery leaves produce a light brownish orange drink with a sweet taste.

Stay Healthy with Green, Black and White Tea

There is much discussion out there today about the benefits of green tea. Green tea has the highest amount of antioxidants which fight free radicals.

All tea (black oolong, green and white) are leaves from the camellia sinensis bush. These bushes are loaded with flavonoids and polyphenols.

China is studying all teas and indicated that daily intake could be used to treat diabetes. Researches have found that drinking the three teas, the polysaccharides in black tea had the most glucose inhibiting properties.

Germany lead a team of researches regarding extract from white tea which is the least processed of all teas of the camellia sinensis bush. It is thought that maybe white tea would help with fighting obesity by stimulating fat mobilization from mature fat cells.

There is some evidence that green tea could prevent cataracts.
Green could reduce inflammation related arthritis and slow cartilage breakdown. There is also evidence that green tea can reduce heart attacks or atherosclerosis. Study from Japan found that older adults who drink tea daily show less risk of memory difficulty.

There was a study in 2008 that indicated that tea could keep away the super bugs. Pharmacy researches show that drinking green tea would help antibiotics fight off bacterial infections.
Drinking tea daily would significantly reduce risk of stroke per a study completed in the US recently.

As of today no one knows what is in the tea to prevent the disease but they just know now that it works.

Health Benefits of White Tea

Tea is becoming more and more popular in North America but few of us here have heard of white tea, which is a shame but it too is gaining a foothold on our continent. It isn't black tea which has had milk added! It is a very special variety which comes to us from camillia sinensis, which is simply the Latin name for the tea plant. Whereas most teas are harvested for their leaves, this special variety is actually the fine white hairs that surround the unopened bud of the tea plant! As you can imagine, plucking these tiny buds is a delicate undertaking. Not only does it taste really good but there are many white tea health benefits.

Most of this variety comes from China, the home of tea. It has a very long history which dates back to the Sung Dynasty (900 AD to 1200 AD), where it was a firm favorite. It has a remarkable appearance and its flavor is delicate and has a faintly sweet taste, which is very pleasant. This tea is pure and is not fermented, but is simply plucked and dried. Some varieties include White Peony and the ultra special Silver Needles.

Here are some white tea health benefits:

• It can lower cholesterol
• It can also reduce blood pressure
• It may also reduce blood sugar
• It is good for the health of your bones
• It contains more polyphenols than green or black tea
• It is rich in antioxidants which helps your immune system
• It has antibacterial and antiviral properties
• It's good for the skin
• It's also good for teeth and gum health
• It can help prevent the growth of plaque on your teeth
• It is used in some brands of toothpaste

So you can understand that not only is this tea very special, has a unique flavor but it's very good for you as well - what a great combination! Remember the many white tea health benefits. You can even go to tea websites on the internet and find out more, but also purchase it online. This is an easy process and you can have it delivered to your home.

The Delicious and Healthy White Tea

Before I get into the details about white tea, I think it's important to take a minute to discuss the difference between loose leaf tea and bagged tea. Loose leaf teas definitely provide more flavor. Oil in the tea leaves is what provides the flavor. When the leaves are crushed or broken for bagging, the oil is evaporated along with the flavor. The larger leaf surface area of loose leaf tea allows for more flavor to be retained in the leaf.

What Makes White Tea So Healthy?
White tea contains high catechin levels which are a polyphenolic antioxidant plant metabolites. We've all heard about the benefits of antioxidents. They have been proven to prevent heart disease, boost immunity, and prevent us from rapid aging. Free radicals can damage the body and these powerful nutrients protect us from their damage. Antioxidants have the ability to neutralize free radicals.

Theanine is an amino acid found in tea that is believed to relax the mood. I personally believe this is true. This has been one of the greatest benefits that I've experienced over the past year.

White tea is known for it's anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties aiding us in fighting disease and boosting our immunity. It can help to protect us from the common cold and flu.

Many of the health benefits are still being discovered. Without a doubt it is beneficial to our health.

There are some wonderful tea merchants out there who will allow you to sample a variety of white teas before purchasing. I do this often and I learn something everytime I visit a store. The sales people are experts and usually have amazing recommendations.

Five Types of Tea

The are five major categories of tea. White, green, Oolong-style (brown), and black teas come from the tea plant, Camellia Sinensis. Herbal teas are made from herbs, spices, fruits, flowers, and bark, and contain no tea leaves. Similar to wine varieties, sometimes the name of a tea indicates the region in which it is grown, which affects it's flavor. Examples of these names would be: Ceylon, Darjeeling, Assam, Lapsang Suchong. Some teas, such as Jasmine, and Earl Gray, are tea leaves with added flavors. Orange Pekoe does not refer to adding orange flavor to the tea, but rather refers to the size of the leaf and it's grade.

Green tea is made from tea leaves which are steamed or pan-fried to prevent fermentation (oxidization). This gives it a delicate flavor. Green tea is very high in anti-oxidants and studies have shown it prevents tooth decay and gum disease. Green teas are particularly characteristic of Japan.

White tea is grown in the Fujian region of Eastern China. White tea contains the white buds of the tea plant, and like green tea it is unfermented and has a delicate flavor. White tea has a very pale color when brewed.

Oolong-style (brown) teas are teas that have been semi-fermented, meaning the leaves are slightly oxidized and turn brown in color.












Black teas are fully fermented tea leaves. Darjeeling, Russian Black Tea, Lapsang Suchong, and English Breakfast, are examples of fully fermented tea. Darjeeling has a mild flavor, and breakfast teas, Russian teas and Lapsang Suchong have a strong taste and are very stimulating.

All teas contain polyphenols, though black teas contain less polyphenols than other varieties. Polyphenols are a type of anti-oxidant that inhibits inflamation and may discourage the effects of aging.

The History of China Organic White Tea

The history of China Organic White Tea is one of the most affordable tea sets I've encountered, but that's not to say that low price means low quality. Their tea set is said to be one of the most pure also, which means higher concentration of antioxidants.

Being health conscious, I find that looking for products which suit my lifestyle is sometimes expensive, especially since different companies today seem to make it their goal to increase the price of their products the more "healthy" they become. That's why when I came across Legends of China, I was thrilled to find out that they are a credible company offering a great product.

White tea from Legends of China is processed in such a way that the leaves are practically unaltered. There isn't much steaming and oxidation, that's why the essences of the tea leaves are kept pure, and the antioxidants remain in high concentration. I also prefer white tea to green tea because while it has all the benefits of green tea, its taste is more subtle, is mildly sweet, and more appealing to me. The caffeine content is also lowest compared to green and black tea because little processing is involved in it, so among the three, white variety really proves to be the best.

I find that other brands offering white tea are either more expensive or have gone tremendous amount of processing, so the end products are too "tainted" so to speak that the essence of white tea is lost. What I love best about Legends of China is that I know that what I drink is pure and healthy, and it comes in a price I can very well afford. Now there's no reason for me not to drink tea anymore and become healthy.

Green Tea vs White Tea-Which One Do You Chose?

"Better to be deprived of food for three days than tea for one."

Chinese Proverb

A half a million years ago some ancient and bold adventurer threw caution to the wind - and then threw tea leaves into a pot of hot water and drank the brew. The rest is a storied history of tea, a history of power and money made from selling it, a history that has always included the belief that, above all, drinking tea insures a long and healthy life. In this case it turns out that the rumor is true.

Tea contains powerful anti-oxidants, substances that scavenge for free radicals. Tea contains polyphenols, very powerful anti-oxidants, called catechins. And the most powerful (and studied) of these is epigallocatechin gallate, otherwise (and mercifully) known as EGCG.

Tea is processed in several different ways, but all teas are made from the leaf of the same plant. White tea is picked as an immature bud and is unfermented. Green tea is picked as a mature leaf and is unfermented. Black and Oolong teas are made from mature leaves that are fermented to varying degrees. It is the fermentation process that destroys some of the polyphenols, like EGCG, and this is why the unfermented white and green teas are better for you.
Though not yet fully understood, the health benefits of white and green tea appear to be substantial.

And at the University of Kansas scientists reported that EGCG was twice as powerful an anti-oxidant as resveratrol, the protective substance in red wine that lowers risk for cardiac disease.

Finally, in 2004 Pace University scientists concluded that white tea could help the body's immune system.

Researchers are just beginning to understand and appreciate the health-promoting benefits of polyphenols, like those found in white and green tea, but while we wait for additional studies and more information about the specific mechanisms by which white and green tea impart their beneficial effects, it can't hurt to drink 1-2 cups of white or green tea daily, especially in the morning so that the mild dose of caffeine found in these teas has a chance to wear off by the end of the day.

Play it safe and add white or green tea to your defensive arsenal. Live long and prosper, healthfully.

Facts about Licorice Tea

Licorice tea has two ingredients - white tea and licorice flavoring. There are many variations of these ingredients. Let me explain. First the licorice flavoring for licorice tea comes from two sources star anise or licorice root. Extracts from the licorice root have a stronger licorice flavor and is cheaper to use. The milder star anise is used whole and produces a milder licorice tea. Secondly, white tea is mainly grown in four areas Sri Lanka (Ceylon), India, Japan and China. The flavor varies slightly from each area. To further compound this there are three types of white tea.

White tea Is categorized by which leaves are plucked and utilized for each tea type. They are Silver Needle, White Pony and Longevity Eyebrow. Silver Needle is the most cherished of the three only the young bud is harvested for this rare brew. White Pony includes one additional leaf with the bud. Longevity Eyebrow includes two leaves. The leaves included are very young not completely opened and still covered with fine silvery white hairs. The tea is named "white tea" because of the presence of these hairs. What we have so far is four growing areas, each with three tea types or twelve individual unique teas. Then we have the two licorice flavoring options which gives us 24 combinations of licorice tea.

So how does one choose a licorice tea? The answer comes from personal taste preferences. I will share mine and maybe you will gain some insight to help guide you. I have two favorites. I drink Darjeeling tea with licorice root extract for my hot tea in winter. Darjeeling tea comes from India and has a slightly more robust muscatel flavor. I also choose the stronger licorice root extract because I like my winter tea to have power and really enliven my senses. This blend opens my sinuses, awakens my taste buds and warms my insides. For me this is an ideal beverage for those gray days of winter. My other licorice tea is quite the opposite.

I love iced licorice tea to quench my thirst all summer long. For this I prefer Ceylon white tea and star anise. Ceylon white is very light with a hint of honey flavor to it. Blended with the sweet milder licorice flavor of star anise, I have a tea that is both invigorating and refreshing. I enjoy this iced tea very much and love the fact that it is sweet enough on its own, without added sugar. Another wonderful fact is caffeine builds up as tea leaves mature. Since the leaves used for white tea are so young there caffeine content is less than that of green tea and about 1/3 that of black tea.

One quick note, before I close, white tea has wonderful health benefits associated with it. Antioxidants are highest in white tea, they break down some in green and significantly more in black tea. These antioxidants aid the body in many ways, increasing its production of interferon, which fights viruses. They have positive effects on the circulatory system. There has been much research on how beneficial tea consumption is. So, if you are not partial to licorice tea, like me, I still suggest that you ad white tea to your diet. There are many other flavors to choose from since white tea is so ideal for flavoring.

White Tea versus Black Tea

White Tea
White tea is a rare type of tea, because it is produced only in some areas of China. For centuries known as the magic ingredient of which is becoming younger and even is deemed to be the main ingredient of "elixir of youth. For him, the selection of only the finest, youngest leaves and buds are still covered with short white hairs. These hairs, dried leaves are silver-white and from here derives the name white tea. Tender leaves are minimally processed, so that it evaporates immediately and dried, when it does not come up fade rolling, or fermentation. Due to minimal processing and detailed selection of the youngest leaves, white tea is even richer antioxidants of the green tea, but unlike it in tastes no little acerbity. Obtained beverage is mild gold color and delicate refreshing taste.

Black Tea
The best known and most expanded type of tea is black tea. After picking leaves, the scatter a thin layer and allowed to Vein 12 to 18 hours. Thus, soft sheets wailing when it lives cell membrane are crumbling, and juices and essential oils out of them. In the process of fermentation, under the influence of enzymes, leaves lose primary acerbity and develop the characteristic color and flavor. At the time when the aroma and taste of tea, fully developed, further fermentation stops frying ballots in large furnaces. This fermented juices full of aromas drying on the surface of leaves and remain there until they do not plunge into the cup of boiling water. At the end of the process, dividing the whole leaves of braking from dust, and tea is sorting according to quality. During the preparation, he becomes a dark, sometimes reddish.

Research has shown that people who drink black tea with 50% lower risk of coronary heart disease. Japanese scientists believe that drinking black tea rich in flavonoids antioksidansima and increase the ability of blood vessels, which leads to better blood flow. Numerous investigations pointed to the positive effects of consumption of black tea, such as lowering cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of the appearance of blood clot and repair the blood vessels.