Lara Kindle had her first taste of tea one lazy Saturday morning with her mother and sister. The Basehor senior was only 8 at the time, but the soothing taste made her a tea drinker for life.

“Tea is a comfort drink for me,” Kindle says. “It always quenches my thirst and warms me up on a cold day or cools me down in the summer.”

The ancient beverage was discovered in 2737 B.C. by Chinese Emperor Shen-Nung. Legend says that tea leaves accidently blew into the emperor’s pot of boiling water, and the world has been enjoying tea ever since. Tea is the most commonly consumed beverage behind water, according to the American Tea Institute. In 2005, Americans consumed more than 50 billion servings of tea, more than 2.25 billion gallons.

What is tea?

To really be considered tea, the leaves must come from the tropical plant Camellia sinensis, says Bianca Storlazzi, tea buyer at the Community Mercantile, 901 Iowa St. Differences among the types of tea result from the varying degrees of processing and the level of oxidization. The tea leaves undergo natural chemical reactions, which result in taste and color changes.

Four thousand varieties of tea exist today, but the three most common kinds are black, green and oolong.

Black tea is the most commonly consumed, accounting for 87 percent of all tea consumption, according to the American Tea Institute. Storlazzi explains that oxidization and fermentation of the leaves darkens the tea, and in some cases the leaves are hung like tobacco. Chai tea, popular in coffee shops, is a type of black tea mixed with spices. The tea originated in India and usually is served sweet with milk and honey, Storlazzi says.

Green tea undergoes minimal processing and is not oxidized. As a result, its natural green color is preserved and it most closely resembles the original green leaf. It accounts for 12.5 percent of all tea consumption and is supposed to be the healthiest of teas. Jen Bergman, Minneapolis junior, drinks iced green tea to relax. “There’s something about sipping iced tea on the back porch in the summer that really puts me at rest,” she says.

The small remaining amount of tea consumption belongs to oolong tea, which is between black and green in strength and color. This tea is oxidized for two to three hours and is only partially fermented, which preserves more of its healthy properties.

White tea, which is growing in popularity, is the least-processed type of tea. Its leaves are picked and harvested before they fully open, and yield a lighter-colored brew. Although there hasn’t been much research on white tea, Storlazzi says, it is supposedly as healthy as green tea, if not more. A popular white tea right now is called dragon bowl, she says. When water is poured on top of the tea leaves, a flower rises up to the top of the glass, she says.

Differences in processing also influence cost. Storlazzi buys tea by the ounce for the Merc. It’s sold by the leaf — each of which yields three to four cups. Depending on where the tea leaves were grown and whether they are organic, prices range from $.90 to $6 per ounce. Storlazzi tries to buy fair trade as much as possible because the people picking the leaves are paid a fair wage.

A healthy treat

New findings from the scientific community lend credibility to tea’s healthy properties. Tea is particularly rich in catechins, a type of flavonoid that is believed to have antioxidant properties, says Jeffrey Blumberg, director of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at Tufts University. The antioxidants in tea work to counteract free radicals in the body, agents which scientists believe are damaging to long-term health.

Blumberg says teas have been associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease, some forms of cancer, osteoporosis and may even increase metabolism. One study showed that smokers who drank four cups of decaffeinated green tea daily for four months had a significant decrease in signs of damage to the body’s cells and DNA.

Few studies have compared one type of tea against another, but there is a great deal of overlap, Blumberg says. For example, he says, research has found cardiovascular benefits in both black and green teas.

Tea is a “no-brainer,” Blumberg says. It has zero calories, is rich in catechins and evidence suggests it reduces the risk for major chronic diseases. However, the effects of tea are dose-related, he says. “Drinking three cups daily provides more catechins and greater health benefits than drinking one cup daily.”

Bergman believes research on the healthful properties of tea has increased its popularity. “I think it’s becoming a more healthful trend, which makes it popular with students. It doesn’t have all the additives that coffee does,” she says.

Kindle recognizes tea as a drink that can stand the test of time.

“Tea is a drink that has been around for centuries,” Kindle says. “it isn’t going anywhere.”