From the beginning of tea-drinking time, good health has been associated with tea. Tea was, in fact, first regarded as a medicine. Today, scientific investigations continue to report that positive health benefits do exist. Research has shown that tea contains benefits from specific antioxidants to help prevent the onset of chronic diseases. Antioxidants are compounds that help the body fight harmful free radicals. Tea is also a rich source of the plant substances known as flavonoids, which can also be found in broccoli, oranges and other foods including wines.

Caffeine is a stimulant and occurs naturally in about 60 plants including coffee beans, cocoa beans and tea leaves. Caffeine has been shown to increase alertness and concentration, quell headaches and to speed reaction time. It also increases the flow of digestive juices and helps the kidneys eliminate toxins in the body.

In the United States, however, caffeine is a matter of controversy. High amounts of caffeine can adversely affect some people. If caffeine is your concern, consider that on average, tea contains approximately 1/3 to 1/2 less caffeine per serving as coffee. The average tea drinker consumes about 80 mg of caffeine per day as compared to the average coffee drinker's 220 mg. And the longer the infusion the greater the caffeine content. Tea bags, which contain broken leaves, produce an infusion with far more caffeine than loose leaf tea.

For those who are caffeine sensitive, consider red tea or Rooibos, a completely caffeine-free herb tea from South Africa. Rooibos (roy-bus) is the only other herb in the world which undergoes a fermentation process like black tea. Studies show that Rooibos contains comparable amounts of polyphenols to green tea and has a soothing effect on headaches, disturbed sleep patterns and digestive problems. A great "tea alternative".