Tea is the second mostly consumed beverage on this planet, after water. Inexperienced tea, black tea, mint tea and chamomile tea spotlight a seemingly limitless array of wholesome teas.

However, not all sorts of tea are created equal. Sure sorts are more healthy than others. Some are almost as excessive in caffeine as your morning espresso, whereas sure natural teas may assist you relaxation higher, ease nausea, or support digestion after an enormous meal.

“I like tea,” says Brocha Soloff, BS, RD, CDN, founding father of iHeart Well being. “It’s the greatest low-calorie winter drink.”

Let’s run down the record of the healthiest sorts of teas. (Word: sugary “candy tea,” detox teas for weight reduction, and fat-burning teas did not make this record!)

1. Black Tea

As with inexperienced, white, oolong, and puer teas, black tea comes from a plant often known as Camellia sinensis. The distinction between these kind of teas is how they’re processed, however they’re all from the identical plant.

About 84% of all tea consumed within the US every year is black tea, in response to the Tea Affiliation of the USA. Black tea is comprised of younger leaves and buds which have been utterly oxidized, which is what provides the leaves their darkish coloration.

Black tea has essentially the most caffeine of all teas, with about 47 mg per cup. (By comparability, a cup of brewed breakfast mix espresso incorporates about 92 mg.)

“Black tea is sweet for oral well being, coronary heart well being, and in addition incorporates antioxidants,” says Soloff.

2. Oolong Tea

Oolong teas are made by partially oxidizing tea leaves, giving this tea power and coloration that’s a cross between black tea and inexperienced tea.

Whereas not as well-known within the US as black or inexperienced tea, oolong tea incorporates the identical useful polyphenols and — like different sorts of tea — affords loads of well being advantages on your coronary heart, mind, bones, and enamel, says Soloff.

As well as, research recommend it might increase your metabolism, and may defend towards growing kind 2 diabetes in addition to sure sorts of most cancers.

“On the finish of the day, oolong tea is an extremely wholesome and engaging addition to your way of life,” Soloff says.

3. Inexperienced Tea

Extensively often known as a superfood, inexperienced tea is comprised of tea leaves that aren’t oxidized after harvest. They’re as a substitute steamed, then rapidly dried and saved. Inexperienced tea has about 29 mg of caffeine per cup.

Whereas all tea is wholesome, “inexperienced tea might be the healthiest,” says Soloff.

Inexperienced tea will get this glorious repute as a result of it’s excessive in antioxidant-like compounds, that are believed to have a useful impact on mind perform. One of the best-known antioxidant-like compound in inexperienced tea is EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate). Inexperienced tea might also assist assist weight reduction.

Inexperienced tea will get this noble, very good, and many others., repute as a result of it’s excessive in antioxidants, which is believed to have a useful impact on mind perform.

4. Matcha Inexperienced Tea

Matcha is a sort of shade-grown inexperienced tea with much more antioxidant-like compound exercise — and caffeine than fundamental inexperienced tea. The leaves are fastidiously, finely floor into the intense inexperienced powder you see utilized in lattes and baked items.

Not solely does it have all the identical advantages as common inexperienced tea, however matcha additionally incorporates 137 instances extra EGCG! This excessive degree of EGCG is believed to positively affect temper and cognition, too.

5. White Tea

Like inexperienced tea, white tea comes from leaves that aren’t oxidized. The distinction is that white tea is comprised of leaves and buds that haven’t totally opened. They continue to be coated with skinny, white hairs.

White tea has a extra delicate style and barely much less caffeine. It’s thought-about to be a sort of inexperienced tea, with most of the similar advantages.

Like inexperienced tea, “white tea is excessive in antioxidant-like compounds and is sweet for weight reduction, insulin resistance, and osteoporosis,” says Soloff.

6. Puer Tea

Darkish teas like puer (or pu-erh) are fermented, giving them a wealthy, darkish style. Much like black teas when it comes to their advantages, puer teas are full of polyphenols and regarded to be a fermented beverage.

7. Chamomile Tea

Made out of the dried flowers of the chamomile plant, chamomile tea has a protracted historical past of use as a medicinal herb.

Whereas extra analysis is required, chamomile has been proven to assist with digestion and sleep. Swap your PM glass of chardonnay for a cup of chamomile to advertise higher sleep.

8. Mint Tea

Peppermint and spearmint are wealthy in antioxidant-like compounds, and are probably the most broadly consumed natural teas.

Whereas numerous well being advantages have been ascribed to peppermint oil, there’s inadequate scientific proof that these lengthen to its drinkable type. Serve mint tea after huge meals as a digestif.

9. Hibiscus Tea

Candy and tart hibiscus tea (also referred to as bitter tea) is scrumptious heat or iced. Made out of the dried calyces of roselle flowers, hibiscus tea is wealthy in antioxidant-like compounds and should assist assist wholesome blood stress, when used with dietary and way of life modifications (although extra analysis is required).

Hold a pitcher of this sizzling pink tea within the fridge all summer season lengthy!

10. Ginger Tea

Spicy-sweet ginger tea is stuffed with antioxidant-like compounds and serves as an amazing abdomen soother. And, whereas extra analysis is required, some stories are linking ginger to serving to painful intervals, too.

In case you get queasy within the automotive, brew up some ginger tea earlier than highway journeys. Dried ginger is stronger than recent, however you need to use both to make ginger tea anytime.

11. Passionflower Tea

Passionflower tea has a mildly candy and fruity style. Made out of the Passiflora incarnata plant, this herb has been been reported to cut back nervousness in people with nervousness issues and assist enhance sleep high quality. Sip a mug at bedtime or when feeling notably anxious.

12. Fruit Tea

Need the sweetness of fruit juice with out the sugar or energy? Attain for a fruit tea, comprised of dried fruit or fruit extracts. “I like fruit-flavored teas,” says Soloff. “They offer me that style of getting one thing flavored however with out the sugar of fruit drinks.”

Serve them iced for those who’re attempting to kick a juice or soda behavior, and as a substitute of including sweetener add a squeeze of lemon or lime.

Is It OK to Drink Tea Each Day?

In case you don’t add cream or sugar, tea is of course calorie-free, and Soloff considers its well being advantages to be superior to espresso’s. And, sipping on tea might be a great way to remain hydrated, too.

“Natural teas rely towards your hydration targets except they comprise caffeine, which they normally don’t,” says Soloff. That’s nice information for anybody who will get bored sipping on plain water all through the day.

In case you drink tea for the caffeine, that’s high-quality, however Soloff says you’ll must drink much more water to succeed in your hydration targets.

Due to the diuretic impact of caffeine, she says, consuming a cup of caffeinated tea (like black tea or inexperienced tea) could be like consuming half a cup of water. (A useful behavior is to drink a cup of water after each cup of espresso or tea.)

The caffeine content material in tea can vary from 14 to 61 mg per serving:

• White tea incorporates the least caffeine.
• Oolong and inexperienced tea are within the center.
• Black tea is essentially the most caffeinated tea.

Analysis printed in 2008 within the Journal of Analytical Toxicology discovered that caffeine content material can fluctuate by model and steeping time, too.

From offering vitality, boosting well being, and selling restfulness, every kind of tea comes with their very own distinctive advantages, so use this information to find out which one is best for you.