Tea is the second mostly consumed beverage on the earth, after water. Inexperienced tea, black tea, mint tea and chamomile tea spotlight a seemingly infinite array of wholesome teas.
However, not all forms of tea are created equal. Sure varieties are more healthy than others. Some are practically as excessive in caffeine as your morning espresso, whereas sure natural teas may provide help to relaxation higher, ease nausea, or assist digestion after a giant meal.
“I really like tea,” says Brocha Soloff, BS, RD, CDN, founding father of iHeart Well being. “It’s the finest low-calorie winter drink.”
Let’s run down the listing of the healthiest forms of teas. (Notice: sugary “candy tea,” detox teas for weight reduction, and fat-burning teas did not make this listing!)
1. Black Tea
As with inexperienced, white, oolong, and puer teas, black tea comes from a plant often called Camellia sinensis. The distinction between these kind of teas is how they’re processed, however they’re all from the identical plant.
About 84% of all tea consumed within the US annually is black tea, based on the Tea Affiliation of the USA. Black tea is constructed from younger leaves and buds which were fully oxidized, which is what provides the leaves their darkish coloration.
Black tea has probably the most caffeine of all teas, with about 47 mg per cup. (By comparability, a cup of brewed breakfast mix espresso comprises about 92 mg.)
“Black tea is sweet for oral well being, coronary heart well being, and likewise comprises antioxidants,” says Soloff.
2. Oolong Tea
Oolong teas are made by partially oxidizing tea leaves, giving this tea energy and coloration that’s a cross between black tea and inexperienced tea.
Whereas not as well-known within the US as black or inexperienced tea, oolong tea comprises the identical useful polyphenols and — like different forms of tea — presents loads of well being advantages in your coronary heart, mind, bones, and enamel, says Soloff.
As well as, research recommend it might enhance your metabolism, and may defend in opposition to growing sort 2 diabetes in addition to sure forms of most cancers.
“On the finish of the day, oolong tea is an extremely wholesome and engaging addition to your life-style,” Soloff says.
3. Inexperienced Tea
Extensively often called a superfood, inexperienced tea is constructed from tea leaves that aren’t oxidized after harvest. They’re as a substitute steamed, then rapidly dried and saved. Inexperienced tea has about 29 mg of caffeine per cup.
Whereas all tea is wholesome, “inexperienced tea might be the healthiest,” says Soloff.
Inexperienced tea will get this glorious fame as a result of it’s excessive in antioxidant-like compounds, that are believed to have a useful impact on mind perform. The perfect-known antioxidant-like compound in inexperienced tea is EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate). Inexperienced tea may additionally assist help weight reduction.
Inexperienced tea will get this noble, excellent, and many others., fame as a result of it’s excessive in antioxidants, which is believed to have a useful impact on mind perform.
4. Matcha Inexperienced Tea
Matcha is a sort of shade-grown inexperienced tea with much more antioxidant-like compound exercise — and caffeine than primary inexperienced tea. The leaves are rigorously, finely floor into the brilliant inexperienced powder you see utilized in lattes and baked items.
Not solely does it have all the identical advantages as common inexperienced tea, however matcha additionally comprises 137 occasions extra EGCG! This excessive stage of EGCG is believed to positively affect temper and cognition, too.
5. White Tea
Like inexperienced tea, white tea comes from leaves that aren’t oxidized. The distinction is that white tea is constructed from leaves and buds that haven’t absolutely opened. They continue to be coated with skinny, white hairs.
White tea has a extra delicate style and barely much less caffeine. It’s thought-about to be a sort of inexperienced tea, with most of the identical advantages.
Like inexperienced tea, “white tea is excessive in antioxidant-like compounds and is sweet for weight reduction, insulin resistance, and osteoporosis,” says Soloff.
6. Puer Tea
Darkish teas like puer (or pu-erh) are fermented, giving them a wealthy, darkish style. Much like black teas by way of their advantages, puer teas are full of polyphenols and regarded to be a fermented beverage.
7. Chamomile Tea
Produced from the dried flowers of the chamomile plant, chamomile tea has an extended historical past of use as a medicinal herb.
Whereas extra analysis is required, chamomile has been proven to assist with digestion and sleep. Swap your PM glass of chardonnay for a cup of chamomile to advertise higher sleep.
8. Mint Tea
Peppermint and spearmint are wealthy in antioxidant-like compounds, and are one of the crucial broadly consumed natural teas.
Whereas a lot of well being advantages have been ascribed to peppermint oil, there’s inadequate scientific proof that these lengthen to its drinkable kind. Serve mint tea after large meals as a digestif.
9. Hibiscus Tea
Candy and tart hibiscus tea (also referred to as bitter tea) is scrumptious heat or iced. Produced from the dried calyces of roselle flowers, hibiscus tea is wealthy in antioxidant-like compounds and will assist help wholesome blood stress, when used with dietary and life-style adjustments (although extra analysis is required).
Maintain a pitcher of this sizzling pink tea within the fridge all summer time lengthy!
10. Ginger Tea
Spicy-sweet ginger tea is stuffed with antioxidant-like compounds and serves as an important abdomen soother. And, whereas extra analysis is required, some reviews are linking ginger to serving to painful durations, too.
If you happen to get queasy within the automobile, brew up some ginger tea earlier than highway journeys. Dried ginger is stronger than recent, however you should use both to make ginger tea anytime.
11. Passionflower Tea
Passionflower tea has a mildly candy and fruity style. Produced from the Passiflora incarnata plant, this herb has been been reported to scale back nervousness in people with nervousness issues and assist enhance sleep high quality. Sip a mug at bedtime or when feeling notably anxious.
12. Fruit Tea
Need the sweetness of fruit juice with out the sugar or energy? Attain for a fruit tea, constructed from dried fruit or fruit extracts. “I really like fruit-flavored teas,” says Soloff. “They offer me that style of getting one thing flavored however with out the sugar of fruit drinks.”
Serve them iced when you’re attempting to kick a juice or soda behavior, and as a substitute of including sweetener add a squeeze of lemon or lime.
Is It OK to Drink Tea Each Day?
If you happen to don’t add cream or sugar, tea is of course calorie-free, and Soloff considers its well being advantages to be superior to espresso’s. And, sipping on tea could possibly be a great way to remain hydrated, too.
“Natural teas depend towards your hydration objectives until they comprise caffeine, which they often don’t,” says Soloff. That’s nice information for anybody who will get bored sipping on plain water all through the day.
If you happen to drink tea for the caffeine, that’s wonderful, however Soloff says you’ll must drink much more water to succeed in your hydration objectives.
Due to the diuretic impact of caffeine, she says, consuming a cup of caffeinated tea (like black tea or inexperienced tea) can be like consuming half a cup of water. (A useful behavior is to drink a cup of water after each cup of espresso or tea.)
The caffeine content material in tea can vary from 14 to 61 mg per serving:
- White tea comprises the least caffeine.
- Oolong and inexperienced tea are within the center.
- Black tea is probably the most caffeinated tea.
Analysis printed in 2008 within the Journal of Analytical Toxicology discovered that caffeine content material can differ by model and steeping time, too.
From offering vitality, boosting well being, and selling restfulness, every sort of tea comes with their very own distinctive advantages, so use this information to find out which one is best for you.