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Which is your favourite?
Teas… What’s The Deal?
Are you getting your daily fix? “As a nation we do drink tea, but there is a need to be more educated on the properties, benefits, types and characters of different teas,” says Hajira Khalfe, owner of The Tea Emporium in Cape Town. And if it’s not your early-morning beverage of choice yet, this guide might change the habit of a lifetime.
1. Green Tea: The Fat Fighter
What it tastes like: Mild, sweet and grassy.
Science says: You might avoid green tea due to its bitter taste, but consider this – a study in the Journal of Nutrition found that overweight and obese adult exercisers burnt seven percent more abdominal fat when they drank caffeinated green tea compared with other caffeinated beverages.
Other health benefits: Keeps teeth healthy, lowers BMI, melts fat, reduces the chance of skin cancer, helps prevent strokes and decreases lung cancer risk.
Steeping time: Three minutes to avoid the bitter taste. Tannins’ bitterness comes through when it has been over-infused.
READ MORE: These Are Officially The 3 Best Teas For Weight Loss
2. Peppermint Tea: The Stress Reducer
What it tastes like: Refreshing and minty.
Science says: Research by Dr Bryan Raudenbush at the Wheeling Jesuit University found that both peppermint and cinnamon could decrease drivers’ frustration levels and help them feel more alert. The study also found that mint was associated with less fatigue and anxiety.
Other health benefits: Can help with digestion, freshens breath, eases menstrual cramps and can relieve headaches.
Steeping time: Five to seven minutes.
3. Ginger Tea: The Hangover Healer
What it tastes like: Earthy and full-bodied.
Science says: You may just need a cuppa to ease the morning-after queasiness. University of Rochester Medical Centre researchers found that ginger can reduce the side-effects of nausea and vomiting by 40% in cancer patients.
Other health benefits: Treats morning sickness, eases muscle pain, can improve digestion, aids lung congestion, assists circulation and relieves colds and menstrual pain.
Steeping time: Five to seven minutes.
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4. Chamomile Tea: The Cramp Killer
What it tastes like: Sweet; honey-like.
Science says: Chuck the chocolates and go for a soothing cup of Chamomile tea to prevent PMS – your figure will thank you, and so will your friends. A study found that drinking five cups of Chamomile tea a day for five weeks raised urinary levels of glycine. Glycine relieves muscle spasms, which may explain why it is used to treat menstrual cramps and as a mild sedative.
Other health benefits: Might help relieve symptoms of mild to moderate generalised anxiety disorder, reduce brain inflammation, prevent diabetic complications and ease colds.
Steeping time: Five to seven minutes.
5. Black Tea: The Smooch Saver
What it tastes like: Earthy and astringent.
Science says: Although the boffs say you can never rid your body of the virus causing cold sores, research by Dr Milton Schiffenbauer, a professor of microbiology, suggests that black tea can help relieve viruses in your mouth, and can also help your body recuperate faster.
Other health benefits: Helps prevent heart disease, ovarian cancer, pneumonia, cystitis and skin infections.
Steeping time: Five minutes.
READ MORE: 6 Ways To Use Slimming Teas In Cooking To Maximise The Burn
6. White Tea: The Bacteria Buster
What it tastes like: Sweet and light.
Science says: Say bye-bye to tissues and sore throats in winter. According to research at Pace University in New York City, white tea can kill bacteria and destroys 80 percent of bacterial viruses in 10 minutes – this includes strep throat and pneumonia. Schiffenbauer, the study author, speculates that polyphenols (a type of antioxidant) in the tea may be responsible.
Other health benefits: White tea lowers blood pressure and helps clear arteries, and may help manage weight and fight cancer. High in antioxidants, it has less caffeine than green tea and also has anti-ageing properties.
Steeping time: Three minutes.
7. Buchu Tea: All-Round Panacea
What it tastes like: Sweet and herby with none of the bitter tannins you get in a sip of Ceylon tea but a much stronger flavour than rooibos.
Science says: Buchu is said to have all kinds of benefits, from staving off UTIs to relieving babalas, but in the WH office, a cuppa buchu has become the go-to remedy for PMS. There’s been a lot of research pointing to buchu having strong anti-inflammatory properties, which could be why a strong cup helps dispel painful menstrual cramps. Some of us found it also helped with other symptoms such as relieving bloat and improving focus.
Other health benefits: Brewing tea from the indigenous buchu plant dates back to the Khoisan, who believed it had health and anti-ageing properties.
Steeping time: Five minutes.
8. Senna Tea: Gentle Tummy Cleanser
What it taste like: Sweet and fruity.
Science says: Senna plant is a herb that has been used by the ancient Egyptians contains compounds called anthraquinones, which are powerful laxatives. It’s been found to be effective for cleansing the bowel prior to undergoing colonoscopy.
Steeping time: Three minutes.
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