Tea is my cure-all: Earl Grey when I need soothing; green tea as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up: pu'er tea if I'm feeling a bit posh and a good strong cup of English Breakfast tea (in fact from India or Africa) to wake me up first thing.
Of course there is a huge variety of teas available both in China and internationally, but all of these true teas are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant in one form or another.
Infusions made with different plants (ie chrysanthemum, jasmine, chamomile) are not technically "tea" but instead should really be referred to as a "tisane".
True tea is split into three categories.
First up are both green and white teas which are made from young leaves and buds - these are then steamed or burned to deactivate some of the innate chemicals.
The second category is oolong tea - here, leaves are bruised and crushed, then allowed to oxidise awhile before they are heated and dried.
The final group is black tea, where the leaves are rolled and broken extensively, and allowed to oxidise completely before drying. These are referred to (technically incorrectly) as fermented teas.
Teas from all these groups have a number of extremely beneficial health properties and are a rich source of many different natural compounds called flavonoids. Green tea is much higher in flavanols called catechins, while black tea contains greater amounts of theaflavins and thearubigins. All types of tea contain good amounts of similarly named flavonols like quercetin and rutin.
All you need to know is that these all have potent anti-oxidants which can help to protect you against heart disease, stroke, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Of course, tea should not be considered a replacement for fruit and vegetables that contain other nutrients, but a 1999 study showed that three cups of tea contain the equivalent amount of anti-oxidants found in six apples.
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