We know you love tea. But are you drinking it right? For the definitive word on tea-ology, we have to go back 13 centuries to a tract written by a Chinese scholar named Lu Yu. There's nothing in there about flavonoids or antioxidants, but one thing Lu Yu talked about, which has held true through the ensuing centuries, is that tea-drinking is, well, a state of mind.

Tranquility is central to the experience, Lu Yu insisted. Although few people have access to a slow-flowing mountain stream (his recommended source for water to brew the stuff) or use the 24 implements deemed necessary for the brewing process (Lu Yu might have had a little too much time on his hands), if you want to do tea right, you have to make the time: It's a sit-down-and-sip thing, not a grab-and-gulp thing. "There is a vast culture associated with tea. The Japanese tea ceremony, tea time in Britain. It's a calming moment," says Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph.D., director of the antioxidants research laboratory at Tufts University in Boston.

It's a healthy thing, too. A February 2006 study from National Taiwan University in Taipei shows that tea can help people lose weight. Tea also has been shown to lower risk of heart disease, breast cancer, increase insulin activity, and slow the development of abnormal blood vessels on which tumors feed. But which types work best for what? Here's the right stuff to steep in your cup.  

White
Picked early, usually in spring, and air-dried. Uber-high levels of antioxidants. Might even be healthier than green tea: A 2004 study by biologists at Pace University showed that this variety inhibits bacteria that cause everything from staph infections to pneumonia to cavities.

Pu-erh
Named for the town in southwestern China that popularized it, this rare variety is aged (sometimes as long as 50 years) and has an earthy flavor. Its health benefits are similar to black tea (below).

Oolong
Somewhere on the spectrum between green and black. Causes you to burn fat at higher rates than other teas, according to a study last year from the Tea Research and Extension Association in Taipei, Taiwan.

Green
Leaves are steamed or pan-fried immediately after being picked. Has a short lifespan and should be brewed with low-temperature water so the subtle flavor remains intact. (Boil the water, then let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes before brewing.) This variety increases metabolic rates and fat oxidation (both necessary to lose weight), according to a 2006 study also out of Taiwan.

Black
Leaves are allowed to wilt after being picked. About three-quarters of the world's tea is black. A 2004 study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that black tea lowers bad cholesterol and leaves good cholesterol untouched.

Herbal Infusions
Like mint and chamomile? Sorry, they're not tea. They come from other plants and flowers. A 2005 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that chamomile tea may ease cold symptoms and menstrual cramps.

For more, read Tasty Teas.
Try this easy White Tea Smoothie recipe.