by Connie Rae

Created on: August 05, 2009   Last Updated: August 07, 2009

For centuries, folklore has told of the many benefits believed to be associated with drinking tea. What could not be studied in the science lab, could be surmised by observation. Teas brewed from a variety of plant sources were believed to help maintain health, or in some cases, cure ailments.

In more recent years, numerous studies have shown there are reasons based in science, to believe that consuming tea on a daily basis has a positive effect on physical, and mental health. We have long thought of herbal teas as having specific value to our health and well being. For example, chamomile tea seems to have a calming effect on jangled nerves, peppermint tea soothes a rumbling tummy. A combination of teas - chamomile, spearmint, lemon grass, and several others are marketed as an aid to sleep. It is important to know that most herbal teas are infusions from herbs, flowers, roots, and other parts of plants. They are not literal teas at all. But they are still beneficial in many ways.

Tea is made from the leaves of an evergreen plant called Camellia sinensis. The chief element in tea, shown to have beneficial health benefits, is a compound called flavonoids, believed to have antioxidant properties that neutralize elements in the body contributing to chronic disease. The difference between black tea, green tea, white tea, oolongs, and Pu-erh teas comes from the way they are processed. Green tea and white tea are the least processed. Black and oolong (the tea served in Chinese restaurants) teas are semi-dried, crushed, and fermented to varying degrees. Pu-erh teas are roughly classified as green teas, and can be used as soon as harvested, or after being aged for many years. They can be very expensive, but sought after by tea connoisseurs.

Tea is the most commonly used beverage in the world, after water. It seems that many cultures have long known that teas from the Camellia plant have specific health benefits. The Chinese and the Japanese believe that drinking tea promotes longer life, and this indeed seems to appear true, looking at comparative statistics to longevity in other countries. Drinking tea with meals in Japan and China is thought to be one of the important reasons these two countries have low cancer rates.

With no specific laboratory studies to prove the case, over the centuries, tea has been believed to help in purifying the body by aiding the liver in it's detoxification process. It has been believed to destroy typhoid germs, and to

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