We all love tea. Add the fact that it comes in different tea colors is even more fun. Imagine if coffee came in black, red, and green. But no, it doesn’t.

Different tea colors can mean a lot of things, but for us tea lovers, we know that it means different health benefits, different flavor, different sources, and, of course, different prices.

Let’s start to get to know the different tea colors!

What are the different tea colors?

There are six different tea colors, but we will only talk about the three most popular ones, which are black, red, and green. This video that I found shows the other three colors of tea:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57Ha4rEf5Zc

Black Tea

Coming from the busy leaves of Camellia sinensis, black tea leaves have to be exposed to moist air with lots of oxygen. The originally green leaves turn to a dark, brownish-black color. That’s how we get our black tea leaves.

Black tea is going to be a great alternative for coffee as it has a lot of caffeine. This is why it’s a popular drink for tea aficionados that want energy and alertness.

The best thing about black tea is that it has a lot of polyphenols or antioxidants. Studies show that these antioxidants can prevent cancer, but nothing concrete yet. It’s also known to may have lowered risk for atherosclerosis or blocked arteries in women.

So if black tea is your drink, try to limit to four cups daily. The excess caffeine may not be good on you.

Green Tea

If black tea has polyphenols, green tea has catechin. This is also an antioxidant that can fight and prevent cell damage. Aside from this, green tea can help lower cholesterol levels and improve blood flow. If you’ve diabetes, green tea also seems to aid in stabilizing blood sugar.

So how should you enjoy your green tea and maximize the wonderful benefits?

• Don’t use boiling water for your green tea as it can remove the catechins. Keep the water temperature between 160-170 degrees.
• If you want to absorb as many catechins, add lemon and avoid drinking it with dairy products.
• Not all green teas are created equal. The more expensive, the more nutrient content it has.

Red Tea

Red tea or Rooibos is not only high in antioxidants it’s also caffeine-free. The shrub is called Aspalathus linearis, and is found in the Western Cape of South Africa.

Among the health benefits of Rooibos are it’s antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties.

If black tea has polyphenols and green tea has catechins, red tea has quercetin. This superman of an antioxidant gives you benefits for your heart, reduces certain types of cancer and is anti-inflammatory.

Now that you know the differences between black, green, and red – you can now choose your tea colors wisely. Or try all of them!

Do you already have a favorite? 🙂