Questions & Answers about Tea

A. Green tea has more health benefits while black tea taste better for most people. The most important antioxidants in tea are: #1 is Polyphenols which are more in green tea; #2 is Flavonoids which are more in black tea. For more detail, click here.

Q. What is Pu'er tea?

A. Pu'er (or Pu-erh) tea is look like black tea but taste different. It's different from other tea, the older of pu'er tea the better. Some very old pu'er tea, like red wine, is more expensive than gold. The people in China drink tea most are Tibetan. They drink pu'er tea every day to resist cold weather and digest a lot meat they eat every day. For differences among Green, Black and Pu'er teas, click here.

Q. I have been putting Green Tea leaves in my Juice Plus Complete Smoothies so that I can benefit from all the antioxidants, polyphenols, etc. I am told that as long as the green tea is not heated up (that it is taken raw/uncooked), then there will be no caffeine. It's only when green tea is heated that it emits caffeine. Is this true?

A. Note: All research and studies done on tea are based on brewed drinking of Loose Tea (Green Tea, Black Tea and Oolong Tea). It's likely that instant powdered tea, bottled tea, decaffeinated tea, herbal teas (if no adding regular loose tea), regular tea bags, tea extracts or tea pills have fewer or non of the antioxidant properties of Loose Tea. Remember: "brewed" (heated up) and "Loose tea" are verified to have antioxidants (Polyphenols and Flavonoids) based on all research and studies so far. Others are not sure or fewer benefits.The caffeine is one of the Components of Tea. No matter you make juice or make tea. It wouldn't disappear. The caffeine would be released more by heating, of course. It would be released fewer by making juice (not heated up). But please remember, the antioxidants are also released more by heated up (brewed tea).

Q. I know that coffee and alcohol produce ADH (antidiuretic hormones) which dehydrates the body. Do any teas do this?

A. ADH is a hormone produced by your pituitary gland, NOT produced by coffee, alcohol and tea. Caffeine, alcohol or drinking a lot of water once all decrease ADH and then increase urine. For most normal people, it's good to pass toxins. For a patient, it may cause dehydrated problems. The caffeine and theophylline in tea may also decrease ADH like coffee and alcohol. But tea is much better than coffee and alcohol drinks because of fewer caffeine and more water in it, plus a lot of antioxidants. It is believed that the Polyphenols slow down the effective rate of Methylxanthines (Caffeine and Theophylline) absorption in tea. And remember always drinking light (a lot of water in it) not strong tea is suggested.

Q. How good is green tea for weight loss and is the green tea just as good from Walmart as it is from a health store?

A. The loose green tea on our website is different from the tea bags you may get from Walmart. Our Loose Block Tea Bags and Fresh Dragon Well Green Tea are different from neither regular tea bags nor regular loose tea. Loose Teas are better than Tea bags, why? Note: Loose teas use the whole leaf while the tea bags use the cut, ground or "dust" tea leaf. This makes regular tea bags produce fewer Antioxidants and more Caffeine than Loose teas. Another important factor which you may consider is bleach residue, a chemical, which remains on the tea bags. Loose Tea Blocks (single wrapped for each drink) are better than regular Loose Teas and Tea bags, why? Note: Most Loose teas are not very clean when packaged and shipped in bulk. It's customary to rinse Loose tea first before making tea to drink. However, because of this, it's not convenient to use Loose tea all the time or while traveling. There is not much different but Pu'er tea is better for weight loss. For detail, click here.

Q. Has green tea got tannin like other teas?

A. "Tannin" is an old term used before for plant materials caused blue or black color, or a group of chemicals with large molecules. Tannin is completely different from tannic acid which is used in leather industry. Tea contains no commercial tannins actually. Tea contains just flavonols which are the precursors of tannins. Please remember flavonols are one of the antioxidants in tea. Green tea has less "precursors of tannins" than black tea since flavonols are in black tea mainly. We use more precise terms of "flavonols" and "polyphenols" for the old terms of "tannins" today.

Q. Does Tea loose any antioxidants or anything when you microwave it? Can I mix milk with it and still get all the Polyphenols and Flavonoids benefits from tea? Is it better just boil it in a pot on the stove, than to microwave it, in order to keep the antioxidants? Are the antioxidants just lost in the heating process?

A. Microwave may destroy some antioxidants in tea. Milk may not decrease antioxidants in tea but influence your acceptation in stomach. Lower temperature will brew antioxidants out from tea leaf while high temperature will destroy it. The temperature of boiling water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit (F), or 100 degree Celsius (C), or lower. Microwave has much high temperature. Don't boil tea on the stove either. That makes high temperature last too long. Just ADD boiling water into tea leaves. That's the best way to make tea. Use an Automatic Boiling Water Pot, you may use low temperature boiling water (176-194F). That's even better.

Q. Should I let it steep for 15 minutes to get the best antioxidant amount effect out of the tea? Would the antioxidants diminish if I did not drink the hot tea within a given amount of hours or served it cold later?

A. It's better to drink FRESH tea all the time. The antioxidants would be diminished gradually. You don't have to drink hot tea. The hot water is used to brew the tea contents out but the antioxidants would be less and less if you don't drink it. Follow these steps to make a cup of good tea:

#1. Select Loose tea brewed to make tea rather than regular tea bags, instant tea or decaffeinated tea. Add boiling water to rinse (do not need for Loose Tea Blocks) for a second and throw water away. For green tea, the fresh the better; (Click Here for Fresh Dragon Well Green Tea)
#2. Use boiling fresh water to brew loose tea for 1-2 minutes, a little longer for Loose Tea Block (2-3 minutes);
#3 If you are afraid of caffeine, throw away first cup of tea. 2nd and 3rd cups of tea are always the best tea brewed;
#4 You may add boiling water again and again for 2-4 cups of tea, but add just enough water for one cup each time. Do not add 2-4 cups of water once or brewed for a long time before drinking. Never drink tea infused over night.

Q. Does tea have expiration date? Do I need to drink fresh tea all the time?

A. Tea, not like medicine and fresh food, has no expiration date to use it. The Fresh green and jasmine tea are more expensive and taste better while Old pu'er tea, like red wine, is more expensive and taste better. Some very old pu'er tea is more expensive than gold! For black or woolong tea, it depends. The date printed on the back of our Loose Tea Block Carton is the date out of the manufacturer, NOT the expiration date. It's a quality guaranteed date, 24 months for green and jasmine tea, 36 months for black and pu'er tea in room temperature.

Q. Chinese have the habit of drinking much of tea but as it is known to me from the papers, there are many people who suffer from high blood pressure (HBP) in China.

A. Of my understanding, Chinese people do not suffer from HBP more than Western people. Here is one information source: www.holistic-online.com/Remedies/Heart/hypert_causes-and-risks.htm
Of my option, one of the main reasons why Chinese people suffer from HBP is too much salt in their foods, Not drinking tea. It's possible that they may have more HBP if they don't drink much of tea. For people suffered from HBP and heart diseases already, of cause, be careful Not to drink strong tea or too much tea because of caffeine in it.

Q. How about the PH of tea? Is tea alkaline or acidic?

A. Like most fruits, the strong tea and first cup of tea is light acidic, but much more "alkaline" than coffee which is strong acidic. The light tea depends water used. The best water is spring or natural artesian water with NSF certified, but NOT purified water which is "acidic" to human body. I use Alkalive PH Stix Test Strips (from Phion Nutrition company, USA) to test, from more alkaline to more acidic, Ku-Ding wild green tea, > fresh green tea (Bi Luo Qun is best, Longjing is second, these two are better than other green teas in my testing) > regular green tea > woolong tea > pu'er tea > black tea.

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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