In addition, experts now say tea may help improve bone and dental health as well as digestive and esophageal conditions.

Get to know your tea

There are four types of tea made from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. These are:

• Black - This tea is highest in caffeine and lowest in antioxidants due to more extensive processing. Black tea leaves are allowed to completely oxidize (a natural chemical reaction that occurs with exposure to oxygen), producing a strong flavor.
  
  
• Oolong - Tea leaves are partially oxidized during processing. The level of oxidation required to produce oolong tea falls between that required for black and green teas, although its taste is more similar to green tea.
  
  
• Green - Tea leaves are only minimally oxidized during processing. Green tea has more antioxidants than black and oolong teas but less than white tea.
  
  
• White - Made from young leaves that have not yet turned green, this tea is the least processed of all teas. Because no oxidation occurs during processing, white tea contains the highest level of antioxidants of the four types. Rare outside of China until recent years, white tea is now available in popular brands in American supermarkets.