THE

HEALTH BENEFITS OF TEA

The Health Benefits of Tea

Kate Hudson
The University of Central Arkansas

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF TEA

The Health Benefits of Tea

Tea has been around for about five thousand years and is considered the second most
popular beverage. Naturally, water holds first place. For most of its life, tea has been believed
to be beneficial to health and used for medicinal purposes in many different cultures. For most
of these five thousand years science has not been advanced enough to know how accurate this
belief was or exactly how beneficial tea really is. In recent years there have been many studies
done on different elements of tea, what they provide for our bodies, and how beneficial they are.
There are four different types of tea: black, oolong, green, and white teas. There are
other beverages that are considered to be teas by the general population such as red rooibos and
herbals teas such as chamomile and mint. These are not actually tea however. By definition
tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant, which black, oolong, green, and white teas all do.
The others come from a variety of other plants. In most cases they still contain many health
benefits, but are not strictly tea. For this reason, they will not be a major focus. The four teas all
come from the same plant, however they are not the same.
The difference between them is caused by how they are processed. Black teas are the
most processed. Once the tea leaves are harvested they are withered, rolled, and allowed to fully
ferment. Once they are fermented they are fired and dried. Oolong tea goes through a similar
process. First it is withered, then bruised, allowed to partially ferment, panfired, and dried.
Oolong tea is considered slightly less processed because it does not ferment completely. Green
tea is withered and then steamed or panfired to stop the process of fermentation. Then the leaves
are dried. These three types are all produced using adult tea leaves. White tea on the other hand
comes from the buds and baby tea leaves. They undergo the least amount of processing and are
simply steamed, to prevent fermentation, and dried.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF TEA

Black tea is the most popular of the teas in our western culture. This is most likely
because the fermentation process produces a stronger flavor in black tea than the other partially
or non-fermented types of tea. There is very little hard evidence when it comes to tea research.
It is universally agreed upon for the most part that tea is rich in antioxidants that protect our
bodies. Exactly what those antioxidants protect from and how well they do it is hard to draw
conclusions about. Science has found many associations and links between different aspects of
tea and health, but no cause and effect relationships.
One of the major types of antioxidants in black tea is flavonoids. Flavonoids in black tea
are known to be beneficial in several different areas of our health. The first is heart health.
Studies have provided compelling evidence for the possibility that flavonoids from tea increase
coronary circulation. There are also results from studies that suggest that flavonoids decrease
low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the body. This is the bad type of cholesterol.
There is a lot of discussion about teas affect on cancer and the possibility of its cancer
preventive properties. One of the many dangers caused by free radicals in the body is the
mutations and damaging of DNA in the cells. This is ultimately where cancer is born. Cells that
do no function properly anymore because of damage or mutations can become cancerous.
Antioxidants, specifically flavonoids, are known to fight against these free radicals suggesting a
decreased risk of cancer to faithful tea drinkers.
There has also been discussion of black tea having a negative effect on dental health.
According to my sources, studies have not proved that to be true. On the contrary studies have
shown that tea may improve dental health because of the fluoride content in tea. The fluoride in
tea is absorbed by the plant from the soil and when brewed with fluoridated water this becomes a
significant source of fluoride to benefit our oral health. Black tea is also believed to contain the

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF TEA

highest levels of caffeine of all the teas. However, it is still quite a bit lower than the average
cup of coffee. It is suggested that the lower caffeine levels are enough to increase mental
alertness and focus, without the adverse effect that caffeine can have on the body.
Consumption of tea also improves hydration. Tea is essentially flavored water, and water
is the substance that hydrates our bodies. There has been controversy about caffeine content
having a reverse affect on our bodies and causing dehydration. This is true with high levels of
caffeine consumed at one time, most likely three hundred milligrams or more. Three hundred
milligrams of caffeine is what would be in about six or seven cups of tea. So the caffeine content
in tea is not high enough to inhibit hydration when consumed in normal amounts. Iron is also
a concern among tea studies. It is suggested that drinking tea may decrease iron absorption in
the body. Investigation on this issue has been done and results showed that the affect of tea on
iron absorption was minimal and should not be a concern for a person not at risk of iron
deficiency. If there is risk for iron deficiency, then consuming tea at mealtime should be
avoided.
Green tea is the second most popular kind of tea in our culture. It is far less processed
than black tea due to the lack of fermentation. This minimal processing increases the levels of
antioxidants, decreases the caffeine content, and provides a softer flavor and color. The primary
antioxidants in green tea are called catechins. Green tea also contains an amino acid called Ltheanine, which provides many health benefits as well. The catechins provide many similar
benefits in the area of heart health as the flavonoids in black tea. Catechins, however are
considered to not only decrease LDL but increase HDL, which is the good cholesterol. Ltheanine has also been known to lower blood pressure when consumed in high enough quantities.
Another hot topic in tea health benefits is whether or not it contributes to weight loss. Studies

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF TEA

have been conducted to solve this mystery and they found that it is likely that the catechins in
green tea improve the amount of weight lost when exercising. Drinking green tea cannot replace
eating well and exercising to lose weight, but it may make those things more effective. It is also
a possibility that tea boosts the metabolism. Another thing green tea does unrelated to the
ingredients in it, is it replaces other drinks we might be consuming instead. If it takes the place
of beverages such as sodas, sugary coffee, juices, and others then it is helping in weight loss by
getting rid of those things in our diets. Oolong tea is especially known for its weight loss
benefits.
Relaxation and reducing stress is a common consideration in choosing to drink tea. Ltheanine in green tea is primarily responsible for that. L-theanine increases the alpha waves in
the brain which enable us to be alert and yet relaxed. Cortisol is a hormone in our bodies that is
produced more when we are stressed. L-theanine is likely to decrease these levels during
stressful times. It also is known to improve mood. Aside from the chemical and biological
properties of L-theanine in green tea, drinking tea may increase relaxation simply due to the
circumstances under which it is consumed.
There are fewer studies done on white and oolong teas. The general understanding about
white tea is that anything green tea does white tea does better, because it contains even higher
concentrations of antioxidants. White tea gets its name from the small white hairs that are
present on the young tea leaves and buds that are used to produce white tea. Tea usually comes
in two forms, bags and loose leaf. Both are good options and contain the antioxidants to promote
health. However, tea bags contain the dust or what is left over from producing the loose leaf tea.
It will most likely produce a stronger brew and still be beneficial. Loose leaf tea is a higher
quality tea and contains more antioxidants than the tea bags.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF TEA

In this discussion of tea there are a lot of different studies, differing results, opinions,
suggestions, possibilities, links, and associations. Not much hard and fast about tea health
benefits. The reality is there is a lot of potential for tea to be incredibly beneficial to the human
body, and not many risks with consuming it. It is suggested that one should not consume more
that eight cups of tea a day, and at least three to five cups a day are recommended to truly
experience the benefits. However, even if you do not drink that much, there is nothing harmful
in tea, only potential to help and it may replace a less healthy beverage in your diet. Ultimately,
there is no reason not to drink tea, and every reason to drink it.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF TEA

References
Cooper, R. (2012). Green Tea and Theanine: Health Benefits. International Journal of Food
Sciences and Nutrition, 63. Retrieved from
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Gardner, E. J., & Leeds, A. R., & Ruxton, C. H. S. (2007). Black Tea Helpful or Harmful? A
Review of the Evidence. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 61(1). Retrieved from
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/chc/detail?sid=e460f7dc-61f5-4d11-afda53490d051f25%40sessionmgr4003&vid=1&hid=4207&bdata=JnNpdGU9Y2hjLWxpdm
U%3d#db=cmh&AN=23421229
Lowenstein, K. (2011). The Truth About Tea. Health (Time Inc.), 25(9). Retrieved from
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/chc/detail?sid=793105f7-fb4a-4187-a7d1de533592d01a%40sessionmgr4002&vid=10&hid=4207&bdata=JnNpdGU9Y2hjLWxpd
mU%3d#db=cmh&AN=66670340