Healthwise, which tea is best

Karen McNew
10 On Your Side Anchor
Published: May 21, 2008

QUESTION: I would like more information about teas and which ones are best for you. I had always heard green tea was so healthy, but I’ve heard white tea is good too. Can you help sort this out?

ANSWER: I drink a lot of hot tea in the winter months. Perhaps it is in my mind, but it seems to be relaxing.

When I asked local registered dietitian Dorothy Shaver about your question, she sent me an article she has written on the topic. Wit her permission I pulled some of the most pertinent parts of the article.

According to her article, green and black teas have been studied the most. Black tea is sold the most in the U.S. She says compared to other teas, it has the most caffeine.

Examples of commonly purchased black teas: English breakfast, chai, Earl Grey, Lipton® Black Pearl Pyramid, Lipton® Tuscan Lemon Flavored Black Pyramid, Luzianne® Decaf Tea Bags.

>What is it good for? The fluoride in black tea promotes healthy teeth. The tea also helps decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol, therefore lowering risk of heart disease.
Green tea has several different flavors. It has 80 percent less caffeine than coffee.

>What is it good for? Green tea contains disease-fighting antioxidants, which are great for your skin, help fight disease and improve the immune system
Shaver describes Oolong Tea as having a smoky and a slightly fruity taste.

>What is it good for? Large amounts of polyphenols (antioxidants) help remove free radicals, helping decrease risk of some types of cancer.
White tea is described as the rarest of teas and most expensive. She says it has the least amount of caffeine, with the exception of herbal teas, which are caffeine free.

>What is it good for? It’s the least processed, so it retains the most disease-fighting antioxidants.
Ultimately, it seems your choice will depend on your tastes and what you hope to accomplish healthwise by adding tea to your diet.