Tea belongs to essential products, it is offered in any restaurant or cafe. However, this word can mean completely different drinks depending on the country and the traditions of the institution.
Black tea – the most common variety (In China, this variety is called red). During its preparation, tea tree leaves go through the entire processing cycle: drying, saping, oxidation, drying and grinding. Black tea stimulates brain activity, relieves depression, fatigue, and normalizes metabolism. The effect of tea on the body depends on the strength of the brew: a strong infusion with sugar and lemon raises blood pressure, increases heart rate, and can raise the temperature. Weakly brewed tea lowers blood pressure and brings down fever. Tea has been scientifically proven to improve mood by increasing levels of the hormone serotonin. This drink strengthens the walls of blood vessels, prevents the formation of blood clots, removes toxins and heavy metals from the body, and has an antibacterial effect. However, excessive consumption of black tea can lead to insomnia, nervousness, varicose veins, and cardiac arrhythmias.
When losing weight, it is recommended to drink black tea with skim milk – this drink dulls appetite, while giving strength and vigor.
Green tea is made from the leaves of the same tea tree as black, but they either do not undergo oxidation at all, or undergo this procedure for several days (it takes several weeks to get black varieties). In accordance with this, the properties of the drink also change – it has a more transparent color and a subtle, less intense taste. It is not recommended to brew green tea with steep boiling water – only hot water no more than 70 – 80 degrees. Thanks to a simplified leaf processing procedure, green tea retains a number of nutrients lost during the preparation of black tea: vitamin C, zinc and catechins, including the most important of them, tannin. These are substances of the P-vitamin group with antioxidant properties that prevent the appearance of tumors and reduce the number of free radicals, which slows down the aging process. Even in ancient China, they paid attention to the fact that green tea improves vision, concentrates attention and increases the speed of reaction. Indeed, there is even more caffeine in this drink than in coffee, but it takes longer to be absorbed and acts more slowly. In addition, green tea helps to reduce body fat, including inside the blood vessels, which improves cardiovascular function. However, it also has a negative effect on the body – it increases the load on the liver and kidneys, so it is better to limit yourself to five cups of this drink a day.
Green tea is widely used in cosmetology – it cleanses the pores of the skin and moisturizes it, so washing and masks made from its leaves are very useful. In addition, this drink is often used for weight loss – it, like the black one, reduces appetite and promotes fat burning, but it contains more nutrients needed by the body of a person on a diet.
White tea – tea from the first two blossoming leaves at the end of the tea branch. Real white tea is harvested early in the morning – from 5 to 9 o’clock only in dry, calm weather. It is processed in a special way, manually, without the use of technology. The collected leaves are steamed and dried, bypassing other processing steps. White tea can only be brewed with warm water – about 50 degrees. Doctors believe that it is the white variety of the famous drink that most effectively prevents the formation of fat cells, and also promotes the resorption of already formed lipid deposits, which prevents heart disease and diabetes. White tea has a less severe effect on the liver than green tea, but in other respects they are almost identical.
Yellow tea – this is the name of one of the most expensive varieties of green tea, in ancient China it was supplied to the table of the imperial family. Although there is an idea of its amazing healing properties, it is essentially no different from ordinary green.
Tea carcade made from the bracts of the hibiscus sabdariff. The origin of this drink is associated with Ancient Egypt, it has good thirst-quenching properties, hibiscus can be consumed both hot and cold, sugar can be added to taste. It contains many beneficial substances, including vitamin P, citric acid, flavonoids, which improve the structure of blood vessels, and quercitin, which helps cleanse the body. It should be remembered that this tea has a pronounced diuretic effect and increases the acidity of the stomach; it is not recommended to use it for gastritis and peptic ulcer disease.