The tea plant is an evergreen of the Camellia family that is native to China, Tibet and northern India. There are two main varieties of the tea plant. The small leaf variety, known as Camellia sinensis, thrives in the cool, high mountain regions primarily of China, India, Sri Lanka and Japan. The broad leaf variety, known as Camellia assamica, grows best in the moist, tropical climates found in Northeast India and the Szechuan and Yunnan provinces of China. The plant produces dark green, shiny leaves and small, white blossoms. There are four main types of tea - green tea, black tea, oolong tea and white tea.

Both varieties come from the plant Camellia sinensis and both have similar amounts of antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. The only difference is that black tea leaves are fermented (oxidized) and green is steamed. However, is is better for health because most varieties of green tea contain less caffeine. In the case of Matcha green tea powder there are more nutrients because the entire green tea leaf is mixed into your beverage.

More nutrients are ingested because you mix the entire green tea leaf into your beverage. For nutritional details see Matcha health benefits.

Oolong tea is semi fermented. Therefore, it produces a tea which is not quite black or green. It is somewhere in between the two and quite tasty.

White tea is not oxidized. It is a rare form of green tea buds or blossoms harvested only during the three day blossoming season of the tea plant. See white tea.

Herbal teas are not really tea. They are properly know as tisanes derived from the Greek, via the Latin "ptisana".Tisanes are made from pieces of dried fruit, flowers and berries. They naturally have no caffeine content.

Tea drinking is a pastime that is identified closely with the English. According to national statistics, every man, woman and child in Great Britain consumes at least four cups a day, and there is almost no occasion where a nice cup of tea is not appropriate. Tea consumption worldwide is the second only to water.

In 2004 China (835,000 tons) overtook India (820.000 tons). Because of the popularity of tea, world production is at a all time high.

Yes. Tea contains less caffeine than coffee and even less is found in white, silver needle and decaf varieties. See ther effects of caffeine and caffeine chart.

Tea contains antioxidants known as polyphenols, flavonoids, fluoride, no cholesterol, no fat, no sugar, natural vitamins, mineral and in the case of Matcha, fiber. Tea contains the polyphenol ECGC (epi-gallo-catechin gallate) know to inhibit the rapid growth of cancer cells without harming healthy cells. In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers. Additionally, 3.5 ozs. of Matcha contains Vitamin A: 16,000IU, Vitamin B1: 0.6mg, Vitamin B2: 1.35mg, Vitamin C: 60mg Vitamin E: 35.9mg, Proteins & Amino Acids: 30.7% and Fiber: 10%.

Antioxidants bind harmful oxygen-containing molecules in your body called free radicals and peroxides that otherwise could damage your DNA, cell membranes, and other cell components. The process of breaking down food for energy creates free radicals in your body everyday. Naturally occurring antioxidants found in most plants including fruits and vegetables help your body keep free radicals in check. Flavonoids are nutrient antioxidants found in most plants and many foods common in the human diet. There are 12 types of flavonoids, and one plant species may contain hundreds of different flavonoids. Polyphenol is a broad class of antioxidants including flavonoids and catechins. Catechins are a type of flavonoid contained in the leaves of tea. Catechins are very strong antioxidants, even more powerful than vitamins A, C, E and beta-carotene at combating harmful free radicals and protecting fragile DNA.

When a free radical releases or steals an electron, a second radical is formed. This molecule then turns around and does the same thing to a third molecule, continuing to generate more unstable substances. The process continues until termination occurs -- either the radical is stabilized by a chain-breaking antioxidant such as beta-carotene and vitamins C and E, or it simply decays into a harmless product.