When ranking these teas, I took into consideration levels of antioxidants, caffeine amount, and propensity to have heavy metals.

Even though tea tends to have less caffeine than most coffee, all of these teas have caffeine. Whether caffeine is a positive or negative all comes down to your DNA—specifically, a gene called CYP1A2.

One variant of this caffeine gene causes the liver to break down caffeine very quickly. Those of us who have two of the fast caffeine genes handle coffee and tea like a boss. These fast metabolizers break down caffeine up to four times more quickly than those people who inherited one or two of the slow variant of CYP1A2.

Does that mean that if you are a slow metabolizer you shouldn't have any caffeinated tea? For most people, the benefits of tea outweigh the caffeine amount. Just limit your amount, and if it makes you feel jittery, just cut back or go decaf (which still has some antioxidants).

White tea tends to have the least caffeine, but for the rest, it really depends on the source, the amount you are using, and how long you steep your tea.

Heavy metals such as lead can be found in many plant products because it is absorbed from the soil. Tea is known to absorb lead at a higher rate. White tea, because it is picked sooner, is known to have lower amounts on average.

An easy solution if you don't want to just drink white tea? Opt for organic options whenever you can to further minimize any unnecessary chemical exposure.