Yogi Tea creates more than 50 pure organic, and made with organic, herbal and green tea blends that are grounded in ancient wisdom and in a simple, natural way of living. To accomplish this they make four lines of tea — body, mind, spirit, and green. We carry all of their teas at HolEssence.
Body Teas Discover effective herbal tea benefits on the path to lasting health with one of their organic herbal formulas made specifically for your health needs.
Mind Teas Nurture yourself with the subtle flavors and effective combinations of herbs designed to relax and soothe.
Spirit Teas Savor the enchanting flavor and sweet aroma of spices from around the world, expertly blended and balanced with a hint of sophistication.
Green Teas Experience the antioxidant properties and delicate flavor of the finest green tea leaves blended with a variety of flavorful and healthful herbs and spices.
Drinking tea, 2 -3 cups per day, could add years to your life. English breakfast, Formosa Oolong or Chinese Gunpowder whatever you choose. A number of recent studies have shown that black, oolong and green tea (not herbals) can prevent digestive cancers, and may help to prevent heart disease. Tea's secret — powerful polyphenols, these chemicals have potent antioxidant properties. Polyphenols deactivate potential cancer causing agents like the carcinogenic compounds found in charred red meat and neutralize tissue-damaging free radicals.
Swedish scientists recently found that green tea significantly prevents new blood-vessel growth, an effect that may stop cancerous tumor onset.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School have shown that consuming as little as a cup daily may reduce the risk of a heart attack by 44%. And if that was not reason enough to be drinking tea, polyphenols also fight plaque-causing bacteria and green and black tea contain cavity fighting fluoride. In order to gain the most polyphenols drink fresh tea not instant or bottled teas. Steep for 3-5 minutes. The highest level of polyphenols will be present in your first cup (84%); although you will still benefit from reusing tea leaves the second infusion will yield 13% potency.If you want to sweeten your tea, use locally grown honey or stevia.
After water, tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world. This is good news, because tea offers important health benefits. Whether it is black, green or red (oolong) tea, they all contain polyphenols which give tea its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants may help protect our body from free radical damage. Tea actually ranks as high as, or higher than, many fruits and vegetables in the ORAC score, a score which measures antioxidant potential of plant-based foods.
Benefits of Tea
Numerous studies have demonstrated the anti-cancer properties of polyphenols. Some studies suggest that tea's polyphenols may reduce risk of gastric, esophageal and skin cancers if one consumes 4 to 6 cups daily. Other laboratory studies have found that polyphenols help prevent blood clotting and lower cholesterol levels. A recent study published in December 2005 showed that just 2 cups of tea daily may lower the risk of ovarian cancer by 46 percent in women.
Black, Green, or Red?
Green tea was the first tea studied for its cancer-fighting benefits. Recent research shows that any tea derived from the leaf of the warm-weather evergreen known as Camellia sinensis has similar cancer-fighting properties. This includes all green, black and red (oolong) teas. The leaves of this tree contain chemicals called polyphenols, which give tea its antioxidant properties. Herbal teas are not derived from this leaf and so do not have this particular health-promoting property.
The degree of processing determines whether a tea will be green, black or red. Green teas are the least processed. They are simply steamed quickly before packaging. Black and red teas are partially dried, crushed and fermented. The length of fermentation, which causes the leaves to blacken, determines whether the tea will be red or black. Regardless of the processing method, all teas contain polyphenols.
Polyphenols Polyphenols, like other antioxidants, help protect cells from the normal, but damaging, physiological process known as "oxidative stress." Although oxygen is vital to life, it's also incorporated into reactive substances called free radicals. These can damage the cells in our body and have been implicated in the slow chain reaction of damage leading to heart disease and cancer.
Graphic by Adam Frank
Many studies have demonstrated the anti-cancer properties of polyphenols. They can stop the damage that free radicals do to cells, neutralize enzymes essential for tumor growth, and deactivate cancer promoters. Their effect on heart disease is less well understood. Some laboratory studies have found that polyphenols help prevent blood clotting and lower cholesterol levels.
Caffeine ContentAccording to the American Dietetic Association, a cup of tea contains an average of 40mg of caffeine, compared to 85mg as found in a cup of freshly brewed coffee.
What about Herbal Tea?
Unlike other tea, herbal teas are not derived from the leaves of Camellia sinensis. As such, they do not have the same polyphenols which contain the beneficial antioxidant properties. In fact, most herbal teas on the market are not tea at all. They are infusions made with herbs, flowers, roots, spices or other parts of some plants. The accurate term for this type of beverage is "tisane". Although tisane does not contain as much polyphenols, it does promote other various health qualities such as relaxation and calming effects.
What about Decaf Tea?
Whether decaffeinated teas have the same polyphenols, and thus the same health benefits, as regular teas has not yet been studied. Caffeine is a natural component of tea leaves. It is not yet known if removing caffeine also removes polyphenols.
Bottom Line on Top
Tea is a healthy beverage offering many health benefits — if you skip the cream and processed white sugar. The best teas are those brewed from loose leaves or tea bags of black, green or red tea, as they have the most antioxidant power. Allow your tea to steep for three to five minutes to allow the maximum amount of antioxidants to be released. Iced teas can provide as much antioxidant power as hot teas. Keep them covered and refrigerated. Bottled teas often have a lower antioxidant level because they contain mostly water and sugar.
'Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revoles — slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment. Ony this moment is life.'
