Tea Camp
Defining Tea
White Tea, Green Tea, Oolong Tea, and Black Tea all come from the same plant (Camellia sinensis). The different flavors come from processing methods, elevation, region, harvesting season and other factors.
Think of the varieties of tea as a continuum of the same leaf.
| White | Green | Oolong | Black |
|
Not oxidized (most delicate) |
Less Oxidized |
Semi-Oxidized (the craft beer of tea) |
Most Oxidized |
| Steep 5 mins at lower temperature | Steep 3-4 minutes at high temp | Steep 3-4 minutes at high temp | Steep 3 minutes at boiling |
*Oxidation refers to how long the leaves are allowed to be exposed to oxygen after they have been plucked. The longer the oxidation process the darker and smaller the leaves become. Oxidation is stopped when the leaves are exposed to heat (such as pan-firing, steaming or baking). The process is very complex and a true ancient art, similar to making fine wine or whiskey.
Tea that does not contain the Camellia sinensis leaf or has other herbs added are referred to as "herbal teas."
The leading tea producers of the world are India, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Taiwan and Indonesia.
Caffeine
The tea leaf typically has the same caffeine content across the board. It's the temperature and steep time that determine how much caffeine is released. However, overall, tea has less caffeine than coffee and its caffeine interacts differently with the body. Per brewed cup, tea will have less than half the amount of caffeine when compared to coffee.
The amino acid L-theanine is only found in tea. This amino acid, along the high level of antioxidants found in tea, help the body process the caffeine over time. The combination and slow rate of absorption helps to ease tensions and prolong focus without the crash many experience with coffee.
Science behind Tea
Most plants have polyphenol compounds. There are thousands of polyphenol compounds found in different varieties of plants. These polyphenol compounds have been classified into multiple sub-classes based on similarities in chemical structure. Two of these sub-classes are Flavanoids and Tannins. Both of these polyphenol compounds are abundant in tea. These compounds are essentially the ingredients that can work with the body to support various functions.
Flavanoids are the plant's defense system to protect itself from the threats of nature, such as parasites, oxidative injury and harsh climate conditions (Clark, 2017). Each plant may have its own unique structure of polyphenols. Therefore, by combining different herbs we are essentially extracting the benefits of each plant's defense system, which, in turn, can help support our own.
The antioxidants found in flavanoids have tremendous health benefits for the human body. Research published in The International Journal of Biomedical Science states that the antioxidants found in tea, “...have been reported to prevent or delay a number of chronic and degenerative ailments such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, aging, cataract, memory loss, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, inflammation, infection” (Pham-Huy, He and Pham-Huy, 2008).
Tannins have shown to have antimicrobial, anticarcinogenic and antimutagenic properties. The potent antioxidants of tannins help protect the cells against oxidative damage and fight free radicals (KT et al., 1998).
Each blend we offer has a unique set of natural compounds unique to each herb. Each plays a roll in creating the perfect cup.
We do not make any health claims. We encourage you to research the ingredients in our blends to draw your own conclusions. We feel you will find your research just as intriguing (and delicious) as we did.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Clark, K. (2017). Polyphenols Vs. Flavonoids. [online] LIVESTRONG.COM. Available at: https://www.livestrong.com/article/479645-polyphenols-vs-flavonoids/ [Accessed 16 Sep. 2018].
Pham-Huy, L., He, H. and Pham-Huy, C. (2008). Free Radicals, Antioxidants in Disease and Health. [online] PubMed Central (PMC). Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3614697/ [Accessed 15 Sep. 2018].
KT, C., TY, W., Cl, W. and Y, L. (1998). Tannins and human health: a review.. [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9759559 [Accessed 16 Sep. 2018].