Purple tea, like all other tea originates from the Camellia Sinensis plant. However, a genetic mutation has managed to produce a tea with higher levels of anthocyanin - which gives this tea its unusual purple appearance. It is the same antioxidant that gives blueberries, raspberries and other red/purple foods their color. Purple tea contains 1.5 percent anthocyanins compared to .1 percent for blueberries. Anthocyanin has many medicinal properties and is particularly known to be beneficial against cardiovascular diseases. These anti-oxidants are known to provide anti-cancer benefits, improve vision, and aid in cholesterol and blood sugar metabolism. At the same time, caffeine content is lower than that of black or green tea. Purple tea also contains higher amounts of polyphenols than black or green teas (16.5 percent versus 10.1 percent for black and 9.1 for green). It also has a polyphenol called GHG which is not found in other tea varieties. Initial research has shown that it can decrease fat mass & thickness while increasing lean body mass. Researchers think this is caused by GHG affecting lipase, the enzyme that breaks down fats so the body can easily digest them. Like green tea, purple tea also has high levels of catechins. These neuro-protective antioxidants permeate the blood brain barrier, and in a study performed on mice, significantly boosted brain antioxidant capacity. What's it taste like? Purple tea is sweet and woodsy, and seems to be a very forgivable tea. We used boiling water and steeped for about 3 minutes and noticed almost no astringency. Purple tea itself has a dark color, however the steep is light, with a slight purplish hue. Some have said it has both black and green characteristics. We found it to taste very much like a green tea, with no-astringency and no tannin bitterness. Because of it's forgiving nature this may be a good way for people looking to increase their health to hop on the purple tea bandwagon.
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