All teas can be beneficial if they displace the role of drinks that are known to be harmful, such as coffee, liquor or sugary sodas.
Teas come in many varieties, but one variety that has clear health benefits is green tea. Green tea has been studied extensively, and has shown promise in reducing the risk of heart attacks, reducing hot flashes and disordered sleep in menopausal women, and also helping to prevent the common cold and flu, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Identification
Green tea itself is more of a category of teas rather than only one specific type of tea. Green tea is known by its Latin name, Camellia sinesis, an evergreen plant that grows all year round.
Black and oolong teas are made from green teas. Teas are commonly named after the area from which they come from, and also how they are prepared. For example, there is tea from Darjeeling and Ceylon, and gunpowder tea is rolled, while pekoe is cut. India and Sri Lanka produce very large commercial quantities of tea.
Japanese green tea contains small amounts of caffeine, and it has been touted as a weight loss aid by helping to reduce appetite. Any tea with caffeine may contribute to weight loss if you consume enough to create satiety to displace less healthful calories.
Benefits
According to the National Institutes of Health, there is some evidence that drinking green tea might lower the risk of heart attacks and clogged arteries. However, NIH states that more studies should be done before a recommendation is made.
NIH also reviewed a study on green tea that claimed that consuming green tea could help prevent flu and cold. Again, NIH recommended more studies be done to support this theory.
NIH reviewed a study that demonstrated that menopausal women found relief from hot flashes and sleep disturbances when they drank green tea, but, again, NIH recommended further study (see Resources below).
History
Tea as a beverage can be traced to China about 5,000 years ago; it was later brought to the West by Turkish traders.
Traditionally, tea was consumed by Buddhist monks to stay awake during long meditation sessions. Green tea does contain some caffeine, but it is much less than what a cup of coffee contains: there is about 15 mg of caffeine in an 8-oz. cup of green tea as opposed to around 100 mg in an 8-oz. cup of coffee.
A Buddhist story about the origins of tea recounts how the Buddha, unable to stay awake during mediation, tore off his eyelids and threw them to the ground out of frustration. Where the eyelids fell, tea plants sprouted and helped him and his monks stay awake during meditation.
Misconceptions
The greatest misconception about tea is that, since there are so many varieties that have health benefits, that all teas are good for you, regardless of quantities consumed. Drinking too many cups of black tea, for example, may not really help other than quench your thirst, and may in fact cause you to consume too much caffeine. Caffeine is a strong stimulant, and drinking a lot tea (unless it is decaffeinated) is not appropriate for people with hypertension, for example.
Warning
If you are pregnant or have any serious medical issues, do not consume any new types of teas. Some herbal teas are not appropriate for pregnant women, for example, since they contain substances that may be harmful to the fetus, or may otherwise be contra-indicated for pregnancy. Always check with your physician first.
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