Benefits of Teas

More good news about drinking tea, who knew that this plant had so many benefits. I grew up drinking tea. My earliest memory being of my Irish grandmother fixing my tea with sugar and whole milk. I was sitting at at small oilcloth covered table in the kitchen of her San Francisco home watching her throw tea leaves in the big black tea kettle which was heating over the wood/coal burning stove. It is funny what you remember, it was the best first cup of tea ever!

(from 'Positively Ageless' by Cheryl Forberg)
Green or black tea comes from the same plant. The distinction between the two is fermentation. Fermented tea leaves are black, a result of oxidized enzymes in the leaf. The potent concentration of antioxidants they contain is dependent on a variety of factors; most notably, the processing.
Green tea is exposed to high temperatures immediately after harvesting, preserving the green pigment,which prevents the key antioxidant compounds, epigallocatechin (EGC) and epigallocatechin-3-gallate(EGCG) from being oxidized.
Green tea;
Boasts cardioprotective benefits including decreased cholesterol absorption,less clotting and reudced oxidaton of LDL cholesterol.
Suppresses cancer-cell activity in all stages of development, its most prostective powers have been shown against stomach and colon cancers.
Boosts metabolism, as suggested by a study of EGCG, people who drank 3-4 cups of green tea daily burned an additional 80 calories per day
Fights tooth decay with natural fluorine.

Black tea provides;
More protection against skin cancers caused by ultraviolet radiation than green tea does.
Antibacerial and antiviral properties, such as killing the bacteria behind cavity-causing plaque.