Drinking Tea To Promote Better Health
With many people becoming more health conscious they are turning to tea for its natural properties, said to promote better health. While still containing caffeine, it is not as much as coffee and the slightly astringent taste of the hot drink is preferable to many drinkers. There are four basic types including black tea, oolong, green and white so named due to the process with which they are processed and the time of maturity, they are picked.
Most tea is grown on bushes, which if left unattended would grow into trees but most growers keep them trimmed to between three and four feet to allow for ease in picking the top leaves. During the growing season, which will vary by region, on the top tea leaves are picked and the bush will offer new leaves in two to three weeks. The leaves are picked during various stages of their growth, for example, white tea is made from only the youngest leaves that have not yet begun their natural fermentation process.
Many growers protect these plants from the sun to minimize the amount of chlorophyll in the leaves, providing a more pure taste. Leaves that are left on the bush until the fermentation process is well underway are used to make black tea, the most popular type sold around the world.
Tea Sales Soared When Leaves Were Bagged
One tea distributor was selling leaves in cloth bags and users quickly learned they could place the entire bag in boiling water and infuse the flavor into their drink. While this practice was beginning to become popular, there was a pause in the making of tea bags during the war. However, at the end of World War II Tetley began selling paper tea bags, which made it a top selling drink in the world.
The drink is a natural source of amino acid theanine and polyphenolic antioxidant catechins, which are highly valued for their health benefits. Many believe that drinking green or white tea offers more health benefits as they contain more of these natural products than black or even oolong due to their processing methods. Additionally, to convince more people that it is good for them, there are several different flavors available as well as serving it cold.
Brewing times and temperatures will vary according to the type of tea being brewed as well as the taste of the individual. Green, white and those considered more delicate can be brewed at temperatures under 200 degrees, while black and oolong are typically steeped in water just below the 212 degree boiling point.
By Health Editor
