“It is better to be three days without salt, than one day without tea”.
(Chinese popular wisdom).

It has been well established, that of all the popular beverages in the world, tea manufactured off the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis is the healthiest. Then again we have the luxury of making our choice: Black tea (fully-fermented), Oolong Tea (semi-fermented) & Green tea (unfermented). The variations in quality, aroma & taste are caused solely by the process of fermentation. While Black Tea has a strong aroma with all the vital nutrients of the tea leaf, generally Green Tea is considered the healthiest since fewer nutrients are lost in the processing. In the beginning was Chinese herbal beverage of tea. Then with the spread of tea cultivation in Asia, tea became a refreshing & thirst-quenching beverage all over the world. Today, with superior technology in food analysis, the medicinal benefits of tea are duly recognized.

Caffeine in Tea
Black tea, Oolong tea & Green tea among other nutrients contain a fair amount of Caffeine, the world’s most widely consumed psychoactive substance. Caffeine, which stimulates the central nervous system (CNS), has the effect of temporarily diminishing drowsiness and restoring alertness.

Tanin in Tea
Tart (astringent) flavour of Black tea, Oolong tea & Green tea is a result of Tea tannin (Tea polyphenols), a constituent of tea. Tanin in tea is unique: chemical composition of Tea “tannins” is distinct from other types of plant tannins containing tannic acids.

Caffeine & Tannin in Tea
The beverage of Tea has the quality of being refreshing & calming at once. Once the boiling water is poured into tea leaves, for the first couple of minutes, the caffeine is drawn out; in the very next minute Tanin is drawn out. The unique combination of the two chemical compounds accounts for the quality of the beverage of tea.

Tea protects your health
Published results of studies on the medicinal benefits have been innumerable & manifold since 1990s.
A Japanese study carried out throughout a period of 11 years among 40,530  adults (40-79 years) in north eastern Japan published in the September 2006 issue of JAMA, suggested that drinking green tea lowers risk of death due to all causes, including cardiovascular diseases. Research presented at the first international scientific conference n the physiological & pharmacological effects of tea, held in New York City in 1991, revealed that tea protects arteries by influencing blood-clotting factors.
In August 2006, A European study, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, (August 2006) concluded that tea is a healthier choice than almost any beverage, including pure water: tea not only rehydrates, but provides a rich supply of polyhenols protective against heart disease. “Water is essentially replacing fluid. Tea replaces fluids & contains antioxidants, so it’s got two things going for it” said Dr. Carrie Ruxton, the lead author of the study. The antioxidants in tea are called polyphenols & they prevent damage to cells.

Catechines
Antioxidant polyphenols, notably a catechin called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a constituent of tea is believed to be responsible for most of the health benefits linked to tea. Antioxidants are substances that reduce, neutralize, and prevent the damage done to the cells of our bodies by free radicals, electrons that are no longer attached to atoms & as such free to go careening through our cells, inflicting radical damage. Free radicals are caused by oxidation process of our being.

Quote: Food your Miracle Medicine Jean Carper 1994 Simon & Schuster UK Ltd.
Green tea, popular in Asian countries, is highest in catechines, followed by Oolong tea & ordinary Black tea. Thus, Green tea is considered most potent. One human study, however, found, no difference in benefits to arteries from green tea or black tea. Unquote Jean Carper

L-theanine
L-theanine, a unique amino acid (building blocks of proteins which are the fundamental components of all living cells) found almost exclusively in tea (Camellia sinensis) accounts for 50% of the total free amino acids in tea. Among Black tea, Green tea & Oolong tea, highest quantity of theanine is found in Black tea. L-theanine is not essential for human nutrition but it claims to have medicinal properties.
Quote Dr. Michael T. Murray Chairman, Dr. Murray Natural Living, Inc.
L-theanine, a unique amino acid found almost exclusively in tea (Camellia sinensis), is emerging as the premier natural approach to relieve stress and anxiety. Comprising between 1 to 2 percent of the dry weight of tea leaves, L-theanine has been available in the U.S. as a purified form known as Suntheanine for several years now.  The effects of L-theanine are amazing. Clinical studies have demonstrated that L-theanine reduces stress, improves quality of sleep, diminishes symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, heightens mental acuity, and reduces negative side effects of caffeine. These clinical effects are directly related to L-theanine’s ability to stimulate the production of alpha brain waves (often achieved by meditation and characterized by relaxation with greater mental focus and mental alertness), as well as reduced beta waves (associated with nervousness, scattered thoughts, and hyperactivity). Unquote
Taiyo Kagaku Co. Ltd., Japan, has developed an enzymatic method to manufacture synthetic L-theanine (Suntheanine). In 1964 manufactured L-theanine was approved in Japan for unlimited use in all foods (including chocolates, soft drinks, herb teas), except infant foods.