Monday, August 2, 2010

Tea: An Unassuming Tool for Better Health

Preparing and then drinking a cup of tea is an act of meditation that begins with tea preparation. Preparing a cup of tea causes us to slow down, to be in the moment, while drinking a cup of tea continues the meditation as you find your inner still point where life falls quiet and you are alone with your thoughts. This is but one of the many health benefits of tea: stress reduction.

Camellia Sinensis is the tea shrub from which most teas are harvested. The fermentation process used for each variety of tea determines in which family the tea is placed, Green, White, or Black. Each family has its own unique taste while providing a variety of health benefits.

These days green tea is the most well known for its healthy effect of antioxidants on the brain. It is also used in weight loss, can reduce the risk of heart disease, promotes healthy skin, and prevents tiredness. This is due to the high amount of poly phenols found in the plant.

Fermentation, or drying, time for green tea is kept to a minimum in order to maintain the high amount of antioxidants in the leaves as well as to prevent losing the tea’s smooth earthy taste.

White tea, once only allowed to be consumed by royalty, is derived by picking the young tips of the tea plant and then allowing the leaves as little fermentation time as possible. White tea has an exquisite delicate flavor and scent that is simply sublime when combined with dried jasmine.

Source : articlesbase

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