Health Benefits of Black Tea
Black tea is more oxidized than the popular green tea, and it contains more caffeine. Black tea's health benefits have been cited as reduced cholesterol levels and of course, antioxidants. According to a report published in October 2003 by The American Society for Nutritional Sciences, black tea can reduce total and LDL cholesterol levels. This is news to me! I had no idea. This is definitely a good thing to know.
What are Antioxidants and Why are they so important?
As defined in the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, antioxidants are substance such as Vitamin E, Vitamin C, or beta carotene that is thought to protect the body cells from oxidation or free radicals which can increase the body's susceptibility to heart disease and cancer. The more antioxidants we consume, the more we protect our bodies from these diseases.
Black tea is mainly cultivated in China, India, and Sri Lanka. While it doesn't have the slightly bitter bite to it that Green tea possesses, Black tea has a strong flavor to it. As stated earlier, Black tea is the most popular tea in the U.S. as it makes up 90% of all of the tea purchased in this country. Black tea comes in variations such as Darjeeling and Ceylon, which are quite popular as well.
The biggest information about Black tea is its benefits in protecting our hearts. In a study I found on the American Heart Association website, Dr. Joseph Vita, M.D. reported that Black helps to tame artery disease. The study done the Boston University School of Medicine showed that black tea reverses endothelial dysfunction which is believed to contribute to the progression of heart disease.
So the results are amazing. Black tea is not just a refreshing cold drink in the Summer time or a soothing hot drink in the Winter time. It is a tea that very well prevent heart disease as well as reverse the effects of heart disease in diagnosed individuals.
Does this mean Black tea is healthier than Green tea?
Actually, the health benefits of Black tea are equal to those of Green tea. So, either tea can be enjoyed with the knowledge that something very healthy is being put into the body that will protect it and increase its longevity.
Sources:
jn.nutrition.org
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_tea
www.americanheart.org
Published by Tameko Barnette
Published author of "The Cleansing of Me" and "Organic Love", poetry collections. Tameko is currently writing personal and spiritual prose. View profile
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