(Disclaimer: Since I have my own business where I can get basically any tea or all natural supplement I want--at a discount and commission) I never shun knowledge that can be helpful to others. Common sense shares. Here's Shilo's sharing of uncommon knowledge from the Dilmah website: see link below.


There are only three types of tea, black tea, green tea and Oolong tea
(and the green tea component in Jasmine Green tea). Herbal Infusions,
fruit based tisanes and floral infusions such as Chamomile (Chamomillae
romanae), Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.), Hibiscus and Rosehip, etc
may contain other benefits but are not real tea.

Green and black tea (real tea as defined by the International Standards
Organisation (ISO)) comes from Camellia Sinensis. Green tea is
unfermented, steamed immediately after plucking, and retains a lighter colour
and flavour. Black tea is allowed to ferment and is then dried,
resulting in a darker leaf colour and a more flavour and aroma. Oolong Tea is
partially fermented. White Tea is basically a better Green Tea - the
hand-picked, sun-dried buds of a special variant of Camellia Sinensis -
and thus contains the highest level of [sic] antioxidents (Flavonoids) and
vitamins. Tea contains no additives or artificial colours.

Tea leaves are about 3.5% caffeine by weight. There is more caffeine
in tea than coffee by weight, but less than half as much (28 –44 mg per
cup) as coffee (100mg per cup) when brewed (since it takes a lot more
coffee grams to make a cup).

The polyphenols in tea help counteract the negative effects of
caffeine, while still allowing for the benefits of caffeine. Drinking a lot of
green and black tea every day has no proven negative side effects but
has benefits (other than possible harmful agricultural chemicals in
NON-ORGANIC tea)

MYTH BUSTIN' FACT: There are no tannins or tannic acids in tea. The
polyphenols in tea used to be lumped in with tannins due to similar
properties, but have none of the hardening or other negative effects of
tannins. Antioxidants help to prevent cell damage (caused by free [sic] redicals
from respiration), which can contribute to aging and a number of
chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease and strokes. The catechins
in green tea have long been known to be [sic] antioxidents. These are
converted to paired polyphenols in the black tea making process (i.e.:
Epicatechin + Epigallocatechin gallate + Oxygen ---> Theaflavin).
MYTH BUSTIN' FACT: The paired catechins as they appear in Black Tea are
also flavanoids and are now known to be equally effective antioxidants.

Other benefits of tea polyphenols: anti-hypercholestemic action (lowers
[sic] cholesteral), anti-hyperglycemic action, fat reduction,
anti-hypertension, anti-cancer
Other benefits may include: increase memory, slow Alzheimer's disease,
immune boost (interferon)

The average daily consumption of tea in the United Kingdom, 3.43 cups
(650 ml), provides:
• Over half of the total intake of dietary flavonoids (antioxidants).
• Nearly 16% of the daily requirement of calcium
• Almost 10% of the daily requirement of zinc
• Over 10% of the folic acid need
• Around 9%, 25% and 6% of vitamins B1, B2 and B6 respectively.


OTHER TIPS

Should not [sic] reboil tea or make with [sic] reboiled water. This can further
reduce CO2 levels ([sic] natureally in water), resulting in a decrease in the
acidity, changing the caffeine and polyphenol complexion and the colour,
as well as the character of the brew.

Tea "scum" floating on top can result from bicarbonate and calcium in
water, can be reduced by strengthening tea (since acidic tea polyphenols
partly [British form] neutralise the bicarbonate ions), or adding acid (lemon). But moderate scum isn't harmful.