The following properties gives tea its health benefits:

Polyphenols - the primary biological active ingredients of tea are powerful antioxidants (catechins). Antioxidants counteract free radicals in the body, which are thought to contribute to cancer.

Essential Oils - they develop during the production process from the active substances in the leave and give tea much of its aroma and fragrance.

Vitamins and Nutrients - Vitamin C makes an impressive appearance in green teas. It is state that 2 small cups of green tea have as much Vitamin C as a large glass of orange juice. Tea is also a good source of manganese, potassium, niacin, folic acid and trace amounts of Vitamins B1, B2 and K.

Summary of Health Benefits of Tea

Cancer - antioxidant properties of tea have an effect against cancer by inhibiting formation of cancer causing substances. This is on of the most important and widely studied areas of the health benefits of tea. Teas has long been tied to a lower risk of stomach, colon and breast cancer. Rutgers University researchers showed that a compound in black tea called TF-2 caused colorectal cancer cells to "commit suicide"; normal cells were unaffected. "The effect is quite dramatic." said a Rutgers professor Kuang Yu Chen, who speculates that the chemical might one day be made into an anti-cancer drug.

Immunity - polyphenols have been shown to help increase the white blood cell count, which is responsible for fighting infection. The high vitamin C content found in green tea also contributes, as it is a well studied and accepted use in helping prevent and fight colds.

Cardiovascular - cardiovascular research suggest that a diet rich in the antioxidants found in tea is able to prevent heart disease and stoke. The tea constituents have been shown to stimulate the circulatory system, to strengthen the blood vessels and to decrease the cholesterol level in the blood stream.

Digestions - essential oils and polyphenols aid digestion by increasing the flow of digestive juices. Drinking tea during or after a high-cholesterol meal has been show to lower the increase in the fat content of the blood.

Body Weight - green tea's antioxidant EGCG stimulates the body to burn calories, notably fat. In a Swiss study, a daily dose of 270mg EGCG (the amount in 2 to 3-5 cups of green tea) caused men to burn 4% more energy - about 80 extra calories a day. Green tea did not increase heart rate, and the calorie burning was not due to caffeine.

Teeth and Bones - many dentists recommend drinking tea because its rich in fluorides, a mineral that strengthens both tooth enamel and bones in  fight against osteoporosis. The polyphenols in tea are shown to affect the bacteria in the mouth, thereby reducing the formation of plaque.

Germicide & Antibacterial - tea has also been long known for neutralizing germs, including some that use diarrhea, pneumonia, cholera, typhoid, dysentery cystitis, and skin infections. Its antibacterial properties help to inhibit certain throat infections.

Tames Inflammation - tea contains compounds that hove long been known to reduce inflammation and help arthritis. TF-2, the newly discovered anti-cancer compound in black tea, has been found to suppress the Cox-2 gene that triggers inflammation. That's the same way the drugs Vioxx and Celebrex work. Also, in a UCLA study, drinking green tea was found to decrease the risk of chronic stomach inflammation, which can lead to cancer, by 50%.

For the Best Benefit

Drink loose leaf black and green tea. Their antioxidants are equal, but green tea boasts special-acting EGCG. Bottled tea and instant tea have few antioxidants, research shows.