Tea is the most widely used beverage in the world. It stands next to the water in terms of use. There are several varieties of tea consumed according to region and country. A few of them can be named green tea, black tea, oolong tea, etc. Out of these, we will discuss the health benefits of black tea.
What is black tea?
Normally tea is produced from the leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis. The different varieties of tea are produced by controlling the degree of oxidation to maintain the antioxidants in different proportions. Unlike green tea which is an unoxidized state of leaves black tea leaves are generally oxidized to achieve their color and certain health benefits that are not available in green tea.
The various health benefits can be summarized as it reduces the chances of several cancers, maintains blood pressure, maintains a healthy heart and the list is endless.
In this article, we will discuss the various health benefits of black tea.
Health benefits of black tea
Rich in antioxidants
Tea is well known as a source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are responsible for protecting our body cells from damage. During this time our body generates free radicals. These are the main causes of cell damage. Our bodies can remove them automatically. But after a certain stage, their functionality goes down. For this, we need an external source of antioxidants.
Black tea serves as a good source of antioxidants which fight against free radicals and convert them to stable molecules thereby reducing their cell-damaging properties.
Tea has a compound called polyphenols which is around 30% by weight and acts as antioxidants. In green tea, they are present in the form of catechin. Whereas in black tea during the process of oxidation, they get converted to flavonoids thearubigins, and theaflavins. These are the main components that distinguish Black tea from green tea.
Lowers the risk of cancer
Studies have found that drinking black tea or green tea greatly reduces the chances of several types of cancer like lung cancer, breast cancer, skin cancer & prostate cancer.
The polyphenols present in black tea reduce the growth of tumors.
Reduces the risks of diabetes
Due to the antioxidative and Anti-inflammatory properties of black tea, it reduces the chances of diabetes, particularly type-2 diabetes.
Black tea improves the metabolic rate and improves the insulin status. Hence it allows the sugar to be used in a better way by converting them to energy rather than increasing the sugar level in our blood thereby reducing the chances of diabetes considerably.
Care must be taken to avoid any kind of sweetener as it will decrease the overall health benefits.
Prevent the buildup of plaques inside the wall of arteries(Atherosclerosis)
Plaque is a substance that gets deposited in the inside wall of the arteries which prevents the smooth blood flow. This is a major cause of coronary heart attack and stroke. Free radicals are the cause of these plaque buildup.
Black tea has antioxidants that reduce the effects of these free radicals and minimize the chances of plaque buildup in the inside wall of our arteries thereby greatly improving heart health.
Reduces the blood pressure
Several studies suggest that consuming black tea lowers both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Black tea also neutralizes the effects of blood pressure after taking a high-fat diet.
Improves bone density
Drinking black tea greatly reduces the chances of osteoporosis by increasing bone density. This effect is observed mostly in older women where it was found that women who drink tea have higher BMD than women who do not take tea.
Further studies are going on to find the exact relationship
Improves the memory
Reports indicate that consumption of black tea increases alertness due to its caffeine content. In some studies, it has been found to improve the memory.
Black tea for weight loss
several studies have found that you can drink black tea for weight loss as it increases the metabolic rate.
Daily serving
Although black tea has all these health benefits we should limit our intake to a maximum of 3 cups a day. Due to its caffeine content and mineral content, it may be harmful if consumed in excess quantities.
Also, black tea is to be taken in the purest form. Several other varieties of black tea like flavored, iced, creamy, and packaged black tea have sugar and milk in them.
They may minimize the health benefits of black tea by increasing the cholesterol and fat in our bodies.
Disadvantages of black tea
Apart from all the health benefits black tea has several disadvantages. The various disadvantages of black tea may be summarized as.
Caffeine content
Due to its caffeine content ( 2-4%), black tea has several side effects in taken in excess like
- Insomnia
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Upset stomach
- Irregular heartbeat
- Irregular blood pressure
- Irritation
- Vision blur stomach
- Irregular heartbeat
- Irregular blood pressure
- Irritation
- Vision blur
So a person having caffeine sensitivity may consult with their doctor to decide the dose.
Toxic mineral content
Black tea contains several minerals like manganese, aluminum, arsenic, and cadmium. In small amounts, these may not be harmful but in larger quantities, they may be harmful.
The amount of these minerals increases with the increase in the brewing time.
With various experiments, it is observed that when brewing times increase above three minutes the amount of these toxic minerals increases significantly. Hence care to be taken not to increase the brewing time above three minutes.
Iron deficiency
Black tea contains a substance called Tannins. Tannins is a good antioxidant but it lowers the body’s ability to absorb iron.
So people having anemia or iron deficiency or taking iron supplements must refrain from black tea.
Reaction with other drugs
Black tea contains caffeine and due to this, it may react with certain types of drugs & antibiotics. Hence care must be taken while taking any other drugs.
Conclusion
Black is consumed widely throughout the world due to its several health benefits.
The health benefits of black tea include better antioxidant levels, fighting against cancer, better heart health, managing blood sugar, managing blood pressure, etc.
Apart from that, it has several side effects like rapid heartbeats, insomnia, anemia, loss of appetite, etc.
So black tea is good for health if a balanced approach is taken to achieve the maximum health benefits.