Scientific Procedures For Brewing Tea:
Brewing fresh boiled water for a minimum of three minutes leads to the extraction of 80% l-theanine, 75%caffeine and 60% catechins. The longer brew done, the more bioactives are made and the stronger the taste. Researches prove that infusing for a minimum of 20 minutes at 80°C extracts highest amounts of bioactives, but the taste doesn’t provide soothing to the taste buds.
Healthiest Tea:
The tea leaves like the oolong , green , black as well as white are extracted from the same plant known as Camellia sinensis. The differences depends on harvest timing and processing, particularly the level of oxidation( it is the reaction that occurs when processed leaves are exposed to high oxygen levels). Black tea are fully oxidized, oolong teas are partially oxidized, while green and white teas remains unoxidized. White teas leaves are procured from early harvests and green from later harvests.
Processing has little impact on L-theanine. On the other hand black tea contains the most amount of caffeine . Catechins remains highest in white and green teas.
Tea is a good source of caffeine, catechins as well as l-theanine. More antioxidants and less caffeine means green tea is typically considered the healthier option.
But excessive consumption of tea is harmful, leading to over consumption of caffeine. And if consumed after meal, then tannins stick to iron and reduces iron absorption .