Green tea and black tea, such as earl grey, are really good for our health and contain bioactive compounds such as flavonoids (antioxidants). Drinking green or black tea lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of stroke, according to scientific research. With just 3 cups of tea a day, you already have a lot of health benefits. There are even green tea-based products that are specifically made for weight loss. One of these products is Tea Burn.
Green tea, as well as black tea, are available in different flavors such as lemon, forest fruits, earl grey, Ceylon, English blend et cetera. These types of tea come from the ‘tea plant’ Camellia sinensis. On the packaging, you can read whether there is tea in it. There are also the kinds of tea like white tea and oolong tea which also come from the tea plant. It is plausible that they offer the same health effects, but this has not been fully studied.
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Herbal tea is not a real tea
Herbal teas, such as rooibos or chamomile tea, are not real teas. These types of tea do not come from the tea plant. They are decoctions of plants or fruits, or mixtures of herbs, flowers, and spices such as licorice, cinnamon, or chamomile. Herbal tea, therefore, does not count among the 3 cups of tea that provide health benefits. Feel free to drink a cup of rooibos tea, chamomile tea, or nettle tea if you like this. Or for example (fresh) mint tea or ginger tea. It helps to get enough fluids and contains no calories. Of course, that only applies if you do not put sugar in it.
Some herbal teas, such as licorice tea and star mix, can increase blood pressure. An occasional cup of this tea can not hurt. But do not drink it too much and not too often. Fennel and anise tea contain certain plant toxins (aroma substances), so do not drink this too much.
Alternate tea with coffee, water, and milk
In any case, it is smart to alternate tea with other drinks from the Disc of Five, such as water, coffee, and milk. (Herbal) tea can contain plant toxins that often come from the weeds that are accidentally co-harvested. If you drink a varied diet, the chances are very small that you will ingest large amounts of plant toxins.