Found in Modern Science: Tea is Rich of Natural Antioxidants, Catechin, Polyphenols and Selenium (Se).

Health Benefits of Tea

More and more research and studies on teas have been done in the US and all over the world. These included:

The health benefits of green tea and other tea come from the Nutritional Components of Tea.

A cup of tea contains 7 Nutritional Contents as following:

1. Polyphenols: cause the taste of tea. These substances play the First important part of Antioxidants in the benefits of tea as Phytochemicals. The most important components in Polyphenols family are Catechins which include EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) and EGC (epigallocatechin) and have strong effects for many "Anti" functions such as anti-mutagenic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-oxidant, anti-hypertensive, anti-cholesterolemic, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-cariogenic etc. The most Catechins are in Green tea but also in other teas;

2. Flavonoids: cause the color of tea. These are second in importance as health benefits in tea as Plant Pigment. The most important are Flavonols, Theaflavis and Thearubigens which have effects against infection and maintaining capillary walls in human circulatory system. Flavonoids are most found in Black tea but are also in other teas;

Any questions about "Tannin"? This is an old and confused term for tea. Click here.

3. Theanine: has the third importance for health benefits of tea inasmuch as it is an amino acid which has tranquilizing effect on the brain for anti-stress;

4. Vitamins: Caroten (precursor to Vit. A), B (B1, B2, B6, Niacin, Folic acid and Pantothenic acid etc.), C (Ascorbic acid);

5. Minerals: rich of Manganese (Mn) and Potassium (K);

6. Water;

7. Trimethyl-xanthines (Caffeine) and other Methylxanthines (Theophylline mainly):

Theophylline is a medicine used for bronchodilation and asthma before. It is believed that the Polyphenols slow down the effective rate of Methylxanthines (Caffeine and Theophylline) absorption in tea. More question about theophylline, Click Here.

The negative factor about tea may be Methylxanthines (caffeine mainly). That's true, regular teas all contain caffeine. Is caffeine harmful for you? Yes, if too much is taken. The facts are:

Teas have about 1/10 to half as much as caffeine as coffee; Black tea about half that of coffee while Green tea about 1/10-1/6;

Green tea has about 1/3 the caffeine as Black Tea while Oolong and pu'er tea has about 1/2 as much as Black tea;

It is generally agreed by many medical doctors that for most people, moderate (Not excessive) caffeine taken daily is harmless. It may have benefits for mental clarity, alertness, and reducing risk of colon cancer;

You may remove some of the negative effects of caffeine by the approach to making tea and the way of drinking tea --always drinking light (weak or medium) not strong tea is suggested. With Black tea, regular tea bags (Not Loose Block Tea bags), the first cup of tea brewed would release more caffeine.

Introduce the Ku-Ding Wild Green Tea, one of the most alkaline tea with lest caffeine. Ku-Ding contains more antioxidants and almost non caffeine (99% less than regular tea). For more detail, click here.

(Source: http://db.uwaterloo.ca/~alopez-o/Coffee/caffaq.html#HowMuchCaff)

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125 g (4.4 oz) Green Tea	125 g (4.4 oz) Jasmine Tea	125 g (4.4 oz) Black Tea	125 g (4.4 oz) Pu'er Tea

Green tea is more like green vegetable and fruits but no adding calories; Pu'er (Pu-erh) tea and Black tea may take place your coffee but much more health benefits; Pu'er (Pu-erh) tea is more like red grape wine but no alcohol; Woolong tea is more like white grape wine but no alcohol. Jasmine tea is green tea plus jasmine flower; White tea is too light or "no taste" for most people and not popular in market. Woolong (Oolong) tea is between green and black tea.