As college students, caffeine is a must-have in our daily lives. The Starbucks line in Hemmingson Center is rarely empty for this very reason. We need something to fuel us, keep us awake and get us ready to work. But imagine if you could benefit in other ways from your caffeinated beverage of choice! This is where tea comes in. Iced or hot, in a variety of flavors and combinations, tea is good for the body and mind in more ways than one, such as its role as an antioxidant!
The main types of tea are green, black, and white tea. While there are many herbal teas, like chamomile, ginger, rosehip and hibiscus, the studies on their health benefits are less conclusive. These three types are often integrated into flavored teas as well.
Green tea is made with steamed tea leaves and has an extremely high concentration of antioxidants. These have been found to interfere with the growth of many cancers, prevent the clogging of arteries, relieve stress, burn fat and reduce the risk of many neurological disorders and strokes, not to mention it also improves cholesterol levels.
Black tea uses fermented tea leaves, has less ECGC, a certain type of antioxidant, but the most caffeine. It can protect the lungs from smoke damage, reduce stroke risk, and is commonly used in everyone’s favorite: chai tea.
White tea is uncured and unfermented. Because it is unprocessed, it is shown to have more anticancer properties, as well as being anti-aging and metabolism boosting.
Tea leaves actually contain more caffeine than the coffee bean, but coffee is traditionally brewed stronger than your average cup of tea. Unlike coffee, which usually requires milk and sugar to make it drinkable at this degree, tea is naturally not bitter, and is very customizable. It can be as potent or as weak as you desire, all controlled by how long you leave the tea bag in.
There is also the option of non-caffeinated teas, that still have all the health benefits without the extra energy charge. This is a wonderful way to wind down after a long day, to de-stress and relax.
Tea is multi-purpose, multi-flavored and overall a great way to treat your body while still being healthy and serving a purpose!