We really enjoyed reading this article in Oprah magazine and it can also be found online
here. It outlines the unique health benefits of specific kinds of tea. The following is courtesy of Oprah.com:
It can warm your soul or cool you off on a sweaty summer day—but did you
know that tea can also prevent the formation of brain plaques
associated with Alzheimer's disease? And that's not all: A potful of
research is showing how various brews can ward off pathogens,
hypertension, even cancer. Check out these four healing cups; we'll wait
while you put the kettle on.
Darjeeling (Click here for Best Tea's version)
The Brew
This delicate infusion—considered by many to be the best tea in the
world—is made from plants grown in the Himalayan foothills of India's
Darjeeling region.
The Benefits
More than half the global population harbors a pathogen called
H. pylori;
15 to 20 percent of those people develop ailments including ulcers,
gastritis, and gastric cancer. But in a recent study, scientists found
that various teas inhibit
H. pylori—and that Darjeeling steeped
for five minutes has the greatest effect. Just hold the milk; it can
block the activity of compounds in the tea.
Oolong (Click here for Best Tea's version)
The Brew
The leaves of this elegant Chinese tea are semi-fermented—allowed to
wither briefly, then bruised to spur oxidation, and dried before the
enzymatic process is complete. Oolong's varieties range from light and
sweet to thick and woody.
The Benefits
According to a study of more than 1,500 subjects, a half cup to two
and a half cups daily of oolong tea or the more famous health star green
tea can lower a person's risk of hypertension by 46 percent. Oolong and
green tea are rich in antioxidants that help control an enzyme that
raises blood pressure.
Black
(Click here for Best Tea's version)
The Brew
When tea leaves are allowed to fully ferment, they develop the bold,
tannic, earthy flavor of black tea. (Its color, though, is closer to
red.)
The Benefits
Four antioxidant compounds (called theaflavins) found in black tea
appear to protect the brain from disease in a very specific way. Last
year a group of German researchers published findings stating that these
compounds prevented the formation of senile plaques (likely by binding
to amino acids that would have otherwise formed the plaques), which
contribute to the development and progression of Alzheimer's and
Parkinson's.
