The Alternative Health Gazette

The two primary types of tea most people know about are Black tea and Green tea. Black tea has been the most common over the years, and that’s the kind you get if you buy regular Lipton or other name brand tea bags at the store. Green tea has gained in popularity in recent decades though, because of the prevalence of health benefits it’s been displaying with various types of research.

Ten or fifteen years ago it was difficult to find green tea in a regular grocery store, so you had to buy it from specialty and herbal shops instead. Today though, you’ll find green tea bags right on the shelf alongside the regular tea bags. You can also buy pre-bottled green or black tea, plus you can buy various forms of instant teas too.

Both green and black tea come from the same plant though, and that’s known as the Camellia sinensis. The primary differences in these two types of tea come from how they’re prepared after harvesting. Green tea is processed much less than black tea is. Usually green tea leaves are simply steamed, dried with hot air, or fried in a pan. Black tea leaves however, go through a more complicated process of fermentation. This process changes some of the natural health properties of the tea leaves, and this is why green and black tea have different health benefits.

There is also a big difference in how green and black tea taste and look. Black tea has a much darker color to it when brewed, which ranges from a medium to dark brown. Black tea also has a much stronger, robust, and some say pleasing taste.

Green tea on the other hand, does not brew dark at all, and this causes confusion for people who are new to brewing it. Green tea actually brews to a pale green or yellowish green color. It also smells and tastes different than standard black tea.

Some people don’t care for the taste of green tea actually, because they say it tastes like liquid grass. Usually the taste of the green tea will vary based on the quality of tea you buy, plus the amount of time you brew it. If you brew green tea for too long, it will have more of an earthy, grassy taste to it.

Getting the best health benefits and taste from either type of tea is easy though. You simply steep loose tea or tea bags in hot water for about 3-5 minutes. You can boil your water first if you’d like, or you can simply use hot tap water instead.

In the desert southwestern areas of the United States, a popular way to brew tea is called “Sun tea”. You simply fill a glass gallon jug with water, put 8-10 regular sized tea bags in it, then sit it outside on the porch or steps in the sun. Depending on how hot and strong the sun is, the tea will be fully brewed in 5-60 minutes. This process can be used for either green tea or black tea, and it allows you to not have to turn the stove on during the hot days of summer.

Note: Some statements in this article may not be approved by the FDA. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional medical advice.

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