By H.K. Jones

If you've heard it once, you've heard it a million times: Soda bad, water good. But summer’s here, the heat is on, and frankly all but the most disciplined Zen masters among us will be unable to resist a drink with a little bit of flavor. So instead of reaching for a calorie-dense soda or sugar-packed fruit juice blended concoction, why not try a glass of antioxidant-rich tea, either iced or brewed hot? After all, tea is the second most popular beverage in the world after water, and studies have shown that tea has numerous health benefits. Could billions of people from cultures all over the world really be wrong?

Tea Defined: True Versus Tisanes
First, the basics: True tea is made from the infusion of water and the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. All true teas come from this same plant; the way the raw leaves are processed (steamed, fermented, oxidized, dried, or bruised) gives them their distinct colors (black, green, oolong [red], and white) and tastes.

Tisanes, or herbal teas, on the other hand, do not derive from the true tea plant. They’re infusions of edible flowers, herbs, leaves, roots, bark, or berries of other plants, and while many are delicious, they don’t offer the same health benefits that true teas do.

True Teas: Great Taste, Big Benefits
That’s because the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant that true teas come from contain high amounts of chemicals called polyphenols—these chemicals gives tea antioxidant properties that work to neutralize harmful free radicals. Over time free radicals can damage cells and contribute to chronic and age-related diseases. Lucky for you, an average cup of brewed green or black tea provides 150 to 200 mg of these immune-boosting, disease-fighting flavonoids, and research links increased tea consumption (a mere one cup a day) with many health benefits, including the following:

1. Lower cancer risk: Because of its abundant antioxidants, tea—and especially green tea—has been shown to be a potentially helpful component of an optimal anti-cancer diet.
2. A healthier heart: Jack Bukowski, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and expert on tea’s health properties, says “there are strong suggestions that tea enhances heart health.” For example, studies have shown tea may lower cholesterol levels and help prevent blood clotting.
3. A thinner waist: More good tea news: Some preliminary research suggests that drinking tea may have positive effects on body weight and insulin activity. And if nothing else, drinking unsweetened tea is a calorie-free option that helps you stave off hunger pangs for less-healthy, sugar-packed options.

So just how much tea should you drink? “The more the better, but anything more than 10 cups a day may be overkill,” says Bukowski. Of course, keep in mind that tea contains caffeine, albeit a lot less caffeine than coffee. In other words, listen to your body so don't overdo it.

True Tea Tips
Get started with these simple tips for choosing your tea:

1. Go green: When given a choice, remember that cup for cup, “green tea has more antioxidant activity and immune boosting activity than any other tea,” says Bukowski.
2. Stay loose: Many mass-market tea bags contain a lot of tea dust—tiny dry particles that fall to the floor during the creation of tea. Whenever possible brew you tea from loose-leaf teas; it’s a bit more difficult to brew, but it's healthier and tastes much better. You can find loose-leaf teas at most health-food stores as well as better tea and coffee shops.
3. Know your caffeine content: Of the four types of true teas, black teas contain the most caffeine; but keep in mind that even a strong cup of black tea contains only 50 to 60 percent of the caffeine found in coffee. The lowest dosages of caffeine are found in green and white teas, making them ideal afternoon drinks.
4. Skip the sugar: When you go to a Starbucks this summer, they're going to offer you a delicious antioxidant-packed iced white tea—pumped full of several squirts of flavored sugar that make it a completely unhealthy drink. Take your tea without sugar, and, if you absolutely can't stand it without the sweet, flavor it with a small amount of healthier honey instead.

About H.K. Jones: H. K. Jones is a registered dietitian, freelance writer, and nutrition professional based in Washington, D.C.

Littlefirebird wrote:

A really good tea for those interested is Rooibos tea. Its found in South Africa around the Cape Of Good Hope. It has nearly 50% more antioxidants than green tea and is caffeine free!

Apr 14 8:50 AM

JerseyGYMphd wrote:

Ok, I love tea... but I have an issue with the blurb..

Tea is outDRUNK by water and not outdrank. The English language is going to hell in a handbasket. Past participle, people. Let's use it responsibly. Does this site have editors?

Would you say, tea is outDID in terms of popularity only by water? No.. you would use OUTDONE. Same for drink.

Sorry to be "that guy".

Aug 07 2:55 AM

phill wrote:

[quote]ChiefJohnson wrote:

Raw honey is the healthiest sweetener on the market, usually also found in the health food store.
[/quote]

If your a vegetarian or vegan try agave necter it has a high glycimic index and burns slowly for longer lasting energy.

Jul 30 3:13 PM

vbbri wrote:

The comment black tea contains more caffeine than white or green tea is one misconception carried through the industry. The logic is not valid. How does caffeine content increase in a leaf as it goes from green to black? Some true tea experts will say it is how the tea leaves are brewed, green and white at lower temperatures than black. Although caffeine does change its solubility properties at different temperatures, the difference between black and green is not enough to make a drastic difference in the amount of caffiene found in a cup of brewed tea. The majority of people will brew a cup or green tea and black tea the same way. Happy drinking.

Jul 29 2:15 PM

can_duathlete wrote:

There are teas out there with some banned substances so athletes competing at sports and events where doping occurs then they should be carefull about the teas that are consumed. Some have ephedrin and other banned substances.

Jul 28 6:43 AM

ChiefJohnson wrote:

Raw honey is the healthiest sweetener on the market, usually also found in the health food store.

Jul 28 12:30 AM

tugger wrote:

I'm a Brit living in Italy, where the quality of tea you can buy in the average supermarket is dire. Before I discovered the shops where I can buy loose tea in my town (and there are several, and really good), in desperation, I cut open the supermarket tea bags in the hope of getting a better brew. Result, the brew was just as bad, but I discovered how powdery and dusty is the stuff in the bags. That says it all!!

Jul 27 10:22 PM

MunchingZombie wrote:

Some research has shown that adding milk can negate some of the bennefits. Here is a block quote from an article found here: http://www.ndri.com/news/dont_add_milk_or_cream_to_tea__milk_block_teas_benefit-177.html


Although,plenty of studies have suggested that tea is a boon for cardiovascular health, new research has found that adding milk to your favorite brew negates those benefits.

The culprits in milk is a group of proteins called caseins that interact with tea, decreasing the concentration of catechin -- the flavonoids in tea that are responsible for its protective effects against heart disease, according to the study authors.

"There are a lot of studies that show that tea is protective against cardiac diseases," said lead researcher Dr. Verena Stangl, professor of cardiology at the Charite Hospital, Universitatsmedizin-Berlin, in Germany. "If you look at the studies, you see that in Asia there are less cardiac diseases, but in England that's not the case. So the question is, is the addition of milk a reason for this difference between Asia and England, where tea is often taken with milk?" she said.

Jul 27 2:38 AM

matt45710 wrote:

I would like to reemphasize the comment about using loose leaf tea. The difference is amazing, especially if you get if from a really good tea dealer. What's used in most commercial tea bags is the refuse from getting the good tea leaves. The best are the tips, which are the youngest part of the plant. A good tea merchant will do great mixes of teas with flavors that are great hot or iced, and making loose-leaf tea in a tea strainer is not difficult at all.

Also know that different teas do best with different steeping times and temperatures of water (most boiling, but some cooler, like green and white teas.) For a great source of loose-leaf tea and information on making a better cup (or pot) of tea, check out <a href="http://www.teasource.com">TeaSource</a>, which is a great tea shop in Minneapolis.

Jul 27 1:42 AM

DiverScience wrote:

Yes and no, McGay. Honey has other properties (mildly antibicrobial) and is only about 39% fructose, the "bad" sugar that your body transforms directly into fat no matter what your energy needs at the time. In comparison most common HFCS and table sugar is 50% fructose, so at least slightly better.

Though personally I think the "badness" of sugar is a frequently overstated concern. It's calories like anything else, just faster to process. You body runs solely on glucose, after all.

Jul 27 12:59 AM

McGay wrote:

I don't know about honey. From my understanding, it's the same kind of drain on the body's resources as sugar. Cinammon as a sweetener is probably healthier.

Jul 26 11:17 PM