Muscle & Fitness Australia - Issue 352 - June 2017

44 MUSCLE & FITNESS JUNE 2017

EAT FOOD ID

FROM LEFT: FEIG & FEIG/STOCKFOOD; PHOTOALTO/ALAMY;

FEIG & FEIG/STOCKFOOD; OLIVER BRACHAT/STOCKFOOD; TH FOTO/

STOCKFOOD

WHITE TEA

Whitetea is theleast

processed tea leaf;

he leaves are simply

withered and dried.

White tea also has

the highest content o

L-theanine, an amino

acid found almost

exclusively in tea. “It’s

a compound that does

a number of things

but specifically helps

the body produce

a lot of feel-good

hormones, like

serotonin, dopamine

and GABA [gamma-

aminobutyric acid], a

neurotransmitter that

inhibits the activity

of neurons,” says

Hausler. “This is the

thing in tea that makes

you feel relaxed.”

BLACK

Black tea is heavily

processed, which

strips many of the

health benefits,

including less

epigallocatechin gallate

(EGCG) and vitamin C.

According to Hausler,

most black teas we

drink come from

subpar commercial

farms. However, when

brewed and sourced

properly, black tea’s

benefits are in line with

the other teas in terms

of antioxidants and

relaxation properties.

Also, it often has a bit

more caffeine than

the others.

GREEN

Green tea has the

highest concentration

of EGCG, a catechin

that acts as an

antioxidant, which may

help prevent some

types of cancers.

Green tea is also one

of the least processed

teas. There are almost

no downsides to

drinking green tea,

Hausler says, but if

you have a sensitive

stomach you’ll want

to be careful to not

oversteep the tea, as it

can become bitter and

harsh on the stomach.

Oolongteas are

theleast studiedof

theteas.Butthey

havetheirown set

of antioxidants,

with manycancer-

preventive properties.

Andwhileallteashave

GABA,GABAoolong

• an oolong-specific
  tea–hasthehighest
  GABA concentration
  because the leaves
  are put in a chamber
  that removes the
  oxygen. Need to chill?
  This is your tea.

INT

nt tea is technica

not a tea, as it isn’t

derived from the

Camellia sinensis

plant. (It’s just dried

mint leaves brewed

in hot water.) Still, its

medicinal benefits

are legit. According to

Hausler, mint tea has

cooling properties that

are useful for treating

cold symptoms, like

red eyes, sore throat

and fever. It clears and

opens up the head and

is said to help the liver

function better. There

are no true cons to

mint tea, unless you’re

living in an igloo, as

cooling down the

body isn’t useful

at that point.

MI

Min

W

W

p

t

w

ally

MIKE TYSON DRINKS TEA.

So you can tell Iron Mike that it’s a

drink reserved for old biddies and

English blokes. But you’d be wrong

to do so: all teas, from white and

green to black and oolong, can

boost metabolism, lower

cholesterol, increase mental

To tea or

not to tea?

Here’s why a cup of tea should be your

cup of tea. BY MEAGAN DRILLINGER

awareness, aid digestion and

stabilise blood sugar, says Lucas

Hausler, a licensed acupuncturist

and consulting partner at Mad

Monk Tea in California, US.

Keep in mind that quality varies.

“No matter what type of tea you

drink, find yourself a good, clean

source,” says Hausler.

Consider buying loose tea leaves

instead of tea bags, which often

contain the “dust” of broken tea

leaves. Once the leaf is broken

it loses most of its essential oils;

loose leaves that you purchase

from tea shops don’t. Also, steep

the tea in boiling water to unleash

more of its beneficial nutrients.

Here’s a look at five top teas.

TEA FACT

Green tea helps

with weight loss.

How? It contains

catechins,

antioxidants that

stimulate

thermogenesis,

or fat burning.