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Organic Tea

Did you know that there are actually just three types of tea. Black tea, green tea and oolong.

Black tea is the tea you will be most familiar with, this is the everyday variety of tea which you drink with milk or lemon. Generally you can get black tea in many varieties such as, english breakfast and earl grey. You will also be familiar with the general household names such as, PG tips and Typhoo. Black teas have been fully oxidized or fermented and are amber in colour.

Green tea is generally light green to amber in colour, has a more delicate flavour and requires no milk or lemon to be added. Green tea is not oxidized.

Oolong tea is a popular tea in China and is a cross between black and green tea.

You could say there is a forth variety, namely fruit and herbal teas, these are not produced from true tea leaves but from herbs and fruit and therefore are not really a tea but a fruit or herbal drink.

Tea contains antioxidants. Scientific studies have shown that high levels of antioxidants can reduce the risk of cancer as they help the body fight harmful free radicals. Free radicals are a form of oxygen that can damage our bodies, particularly the cells. If free radicals are not neutralised into a good oxygen they can advance ageing, work against the immune system and play a major role in the development of chronic and degenerative diseases, such as, heart disease and cancer.

Antioxidants can also help reduce high blood cholesterol and blood pressure. Depending on the type, tea is also one of the few natural sources of fluoride.

Like coffee, tea is also treated with pesticides, although it would seem not to be as severe or not as well documented. In India the death of 10 Leopards and 5 Elephants in a two year period was attributed to the leakage of pesticides from tea growers.

Also like coffee, tea contains caffeine. There are many conflicting views about caffeine, far too many to list here and I feel this is down to each individual to decide their own personal intake level.

You can obtain black and green tea that is caffeine free. As an alternative Redbush or Rooibos is a particular favourite of mine. Not only is it naturally caffeine free but higher in antioxidants and lower in tannin than regular black tea. It has a reddish tint and can be taken just like black tea with milk or lemon. Both Green and black tea are available in organic versions. Not only is the organic varieties healthier for you but also kinder on the environment. You should also bear in mind that green tea is 5 times higher in antioxidants than black tea.