Updated 3/21/2005
The health benefits of tea are related to the polyphenols (catechins) it contains. These manage to survive much of the processing that tea undergoes after harvest.
Both green and black tea come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. To make green tea, the leaves are briefly steamed and then dried. For black tea, the leaves are crushed, piled in heaps and "sweated" (a natural oxidation process that causes the leaves to darken and develop a different aroma and flavor than green tea). Sweating also destroys some of the polyphenols, which is why green tea is more health-protective.
Two processes are used for decaffeinating tea. One, which makes use of the solvent ethyl acetate, retains only 30 percent of the polyphenols. The other is a preferable, natural process that uses only water and carbon dioxide and is called "effervescence." It retains 95 percent of the polyphenols. Be sure to check labels to see which process was used. If it isn't specified, you'll have to contact the manufacturer to find out.
As an alternative to buying decaf tea, you can remove most of the caffeine on your own with a very simple process recommended by In Pursuit of Tea (www.inpursuitoftea.com), a company I respect. All you have to do is steep the tea for 45 seconds in hot water and then pour off the liquid. Next, add more hot water and steep as you normally would to brew a cup of that tea. Up to 80 percent of the caffeine is released in the first infusion of water so only minimal amounts will remain when you add water the second time. This method eliminates very little of the tea's flavor and aroma.
Andrew Weil, M.D.
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