Tea originally comes from China, where it has been consumed for a few thousand years. As the story goes, it was the Chinese emperor Shen Nung who first discovered tea. Some tea leaves found its way into his boiling water, as they fell down from a nearby tea bush. The emperor immediately became very fond of the newly discovered beverage.
Tea is made from the plant Camellia sinensis. This plant is used for all types of tea, such as black tea, oolong and green tea. Click on the links below to read more about tea and its health benefits.
- Black tea is fermented, which means that the leaves have oxidized and turned dark red.
- Oolong tea is partly oxidized. This means that the fermentation process has been stopped halfway through, before it becomes black.
- Green tea has not gone through any fermentation at all.
All types of tea are healthy beverages, but the unfermented ones appear to be a little bit more beneficial to our health, since they have not been oxidized. This is because some of the nutrients in the leaves are lost during the oxidation (fermentation).
Green teas are therefore extra high in antioxidants called polyphenols and catechins. These antioxidants may prevent cardiovascular disease and other health problems.
In Swedish about tea: Te och grönt te.
Yes, tea contains antioxidants which can help prevent cancer.