Tea, a popular and widespread beverage made from the Camellia sinensis plant, has been receiving increasing and widespread attention for its purported health benefits. Scientific research has firmly established some of these benefits, particularly cardiovascular benefits including a modest reduction in the risk of heart attack among tea drinkers. Research into other supposed benefits, including cancer prevention, improved dental health, bone density, and weight loss, has been less conclusive.

Varieties of Tea:

Tea comes in many different varieties. Tea is broadly classified as black tea (fully oxidized), green tea (unoxidized), oolong tea (partially oxidized tea), white tea, and Pu-erh and other hei cha (aged teas). Each of these major types of tea comes in a myriad of different varieties, which differ both in the region in which they are grown, the cultivar of the tea plant used, and the production process. The flavor, aroma, and chemical composition of tea can vary substantially from one tea to the next.

Are some teas or varieties of tea healthier than others?

Since the overall characteristics of teas are so diverse, it seems reasonable to assume that the health benefits of these teas would vary substantially. Research has lended support to this assumption: many of the health benefits of tea are due to the presence of a family of flavonoids called catechins, which act as antioxidants. Studies that have measured the flavonoid content of various teas have found that the antioxidant content of tea varies considerably from one tea to the next.

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