Antioxidants

All teas contain antioxidants, similar to those found in fresh fruit and vegetables, which have the beneficial effect of reducing the activity of ‘free radicals’ in the body; free radicals are known to contribute to the development of health problems such as heart disease and cancer.

Green tea contains high levels of key antioxidants, and has been renowned to be good for health for centuries in China and Japan. There is now a great deal of medical evidence of the health benefits of drinking green tea. White tea is popularly believed to have even more antioxidants than green tea, but levels are in fact quite similar.

Black tea also contains antioxidants: they are of a slightly different type, but have similar properties. There is much less research available on the medical benefits of drinking black tea, but a broad consensus that it is very good for health. The black tea question is complicated by the levels of caffeine (see below).

Caffeine

Caffeine is naturally present in all tea, but in varying quantities. As a general rule, the best quality black teas are highest in caffeine, containing slightly less per cup than coffee. Green and White teas are naturally low in caffeine, containing less than half as much as coffee on a per cup basis.

The way tea is drunk also has a significant impact on caffeine levels. The traditional way of drinking tea in China is to infuse the same leaf several times in a small pot, not allowing the tea to stand but pouring and drinking very quickly, and then adding more water to the wet leaf. Often the first liquor is discarded (‘washing the leaf'), and this will contain some of the extracted caffeine. It is quite common for the same leaf to be used 5 or 6 times in this way, and several cups can be drunk with only a very modest intake of caffeine. This is certainly the best way to enjoy the true taste of Chinese tea.

Rooibos tea is a popular caffeine-free alternative to normal tea and coffee. It is a bushy shrub native to the Western Cape province of South Africa, where it has been drunk by local people for generations. It has a slightly caramelised taste, with hints of sweetness and sourness, and can be drunk with milk. Other fruit and herbal infusions are also completely caffeine-free.

For those who want to reduce their caffeine intake but not remove it altogether, the most effective approach is to drink a mixture of different products through the day, e.g. black tea in the morning, green or white tea in the afternoon, and to drink green or oolong tea in the Chinese way, as described above.

Tannin

Tannins are a group of complex natural substances found in several plants, notably Oak bark and tea leaves, with a very astringent taste. Despite all the rumours, it is important to note that the tannins in tea are not the same as those used for preparing leather, which come from Oak bark or are produced synthetically.

The tannins in tea change as part of the oxidation process in the manufacture of black tea, which is why the flavour is so different to that of green tea. It is technically difficult to define teas as ‘low tannin' in chemical terms, but the milder taste of most green and white teas is typically described as such. It is probably better to describe them as having less of a tannin taste.

For detailed information about the tea & health, including all the latest research, please refer to the Tea Council website (tea.co.uk)