You’ve likely been hearing a lot about green tea, black tea, even white tea. What are the benefits of this age-old drink? Do some varieties offer more benefits? Here’s the scoop.

Tea is second only to water as the world’s most frequently consumed beverage. Although it ranks a bit lower in the U.S. (it’s number four), the average American drinks 155 cups a year.

Tea’s popularity owes much to people’s beliefs about its health benefits—verified to some degree by recent studies.

Color Coding
Green, black, white, and oolong tea all come from the same plant. The leaves’ level of processing, country of origin, and growing region result in different colors and tastes.

ll tea leaves are dried and heated. Leaves that are allowed to ferment and oxidize yield black tea. Green tea isn’t fermented. Oolong falls somewhere between black and green tea in processing. White tea comes from the unprocessed buds and possibly leaves.

Tea contains antioxidants, which help the body fight cell-damaging unstable molecules called free radicals. Perhaps because it’s less processed, green tea contains higher levels of antioxidants than black tea.

No one’s sure how much tea you need to drink to reap its benefits. People in Asia tend to drink three or more cups a day of green tea brewed using 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried tea in 8 ounces of boiling water. One study found that steeping black or green tea for about five minutes released more than 80 percent of its antioxidants, but instant iced tea contained few antioxidants. Bottles and cans of prepared green tea contain various amounts of antioxidants, often with additional ingredients.

Green tea extract is available in capsules, but since such dietary supplements are unregulated, they may contain contaminants and varying amounts of tea. Recommended doses are uncertain.

Health Benefits
Studies suggest tea contains a major group of antioxidants known as catechins that may cause cancer cells to die.

According to the National Cancer Institute, studies have shown tea catechins act as powerful inhibitors of cancer growth by removing free radicals before cell injuries take place. In mice, this reduces the size of liver, skin, and stomach tumors.

To date, cancer studies involving humans have been mixed. Some studies comparing tea drinkers to nondrinkers find the beverage helps prevent cancer; others do not.

The American Academy of Family Physicians has concluded green tea is effective in treating genital warts and may help people lose weight, lower cholesterol, and reduce the risk for stroke and heart disease.

Everything in Moderation
Moderate tea intake is considered safe. However, drinking large amounts of tea may make it harder for the body to absorb some medications and iron supplements. The caffeine in tea can interact with medications, including some pain relievers, blood thinners, anticoagulants, antacids, antibiotics, and other drugs.

The main downside of drinking tea stems from ingesting too much caffeine. That can lead to nausea, trouble sleeping, and frequent urination. People who have anxiety attacks or irregular heartbeats should limit their intake. Women who are breast-feeding or pregnant shouldn’t drink large amounts of tea due to its possible effects on the baby.

That said, people have been drinking tea for thousands of years with few dangerous effects—and several potential benefits. Although further studies are needed, drinking tea appears to be a low-risk, cost-effective, and enjoyable complementary therapy worth cultivating.

By Barbara Floria, senior writer for Vitality. For more information, visit the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at www.nccam.nih.gov.

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