Tea is one of the most popular inventions of the human civilization that can be consumed as hot and cold both and the world of science is not less curious about it. Emerging from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, it is crucial to dissect out the chemical constituents of tea which dictate its distinctive features starting from the time it is harvested until it is brewed in a cup.
Tea has a health-promoting effect owing to flavonoids and catechins that make tea so appealing. These compounds have antioxidant activity, that plays a pivotal role in the inhibition of oxidative damage, a factor relevant to chronic illnesses like cardiac diseases and cancer. The other important constituent is theanine, an amino acid present in tea and responsible for the manufacturing of GABA. L-theanine is supposed to provide a relaxing and invigorating effect, due to its harmonization with caffeine and its result in avoiding the uncomfortable side effects normally given by coffee.
They are processed by the level of oxidation in the leaves to produce the various types of teas tagged green, black, oolong or white. It is much less processed than other teas as this causes the leaves to become darker in color and the catechin content to be significantly decreased. Black tea is 100% oxidized, thus possesses dark color and strong taste Black tea is intensively ozonized and has stronger taste as well as dark color. Oolong tea is midway in the range and it contains both the green tea qualities and black tea benefits.
There are other considerations, which include brewing time and temperature, to be put into consideration when brewing the beverage. The best brewing hits the right balance in extracting the benefits from tea without brewing the tannins that may cause bad taste. The knowledge about tea is still progressing based on various research being carried out to discover new aspects of the usefulness of the tea and improvements in the know-how of the preparation process.