Black tea offers health benefits too?

Tea is one of the most popular—and most widely consumed—beverages in the world.

And there are many reported health benefits to drinking it. In fact, tea can help protect your heart, brain, joints, and more.

Of course, most of the studies conducted focus on green tea. But different types of tea have different polyphenols—and therefore may confer different benefits.

So, let’s see what black tea has to offer…

Heart-healthy tea

Researchers analyzed data from nearly 500,000 participants in the U.K. Biobank, among which black tea was commonly consumed.

And they found black tea is quite protective for the heart.

In fact, they uncovered an association between black tea and a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease and ischemic heart disease. Plus, stroke risk dropped up to 52 percent!

Notably, these effects were observed regardless of how participants drank their black tea—with or without milk and sugar, hot or cold, caffeinated or decaffeinated.

And this makes perfect sense to me. After all, tea opens up blood vessels and improves endothelial function. So—protection against any type of vascular event could be expected.

Not to mention, drinking tea can reduce oxidative stress and inflammation—two markers that are detrimental to health—thanks to its polyphenol, flavonoid, and catechin content.

Drink up

Many countries, from Asia to the U.K., have rituals and ceremonies around tea drinking.

And in the U.S., many people enjoy a tall glass of iced tea with lunch or dinner… or a piping hot cup of tea first thing in the morning or before bed.

If that sounds like you, please continue. But if you aren’t a regular tea drinker, go ahead and “indulge.” Consider adding two cups to your daily routine (just skip the added sugar).

When it comes to what type of tea to consume, here’s a quick breakdown:

Most teas feature a base of green, black, oolong, or white. And all of these come from the Camellia sinensis plant. The difference lies in the way they are processed.

Black tea is oxidized. This simply means the tea leaves are crushed to release their natural oils. These oils react to the oxygen in the air, which alters appearance and aroma. The leaves are dried when the process is complete.

Green tea, on the other hand, is entirely unoxidized. Oolong and white teas are both partially oxidized.

To learn more about what each type of tea has to offer, check out my Q&A feature in the February 2013 issue of my monthly newsletter, Logical Health Alternatives (“The benefits of tea”). If you’re not yet a subscriber, click here to become one and to gain access.

Until next time,
Dr. Fred

Source:
“Drinking Black Tea Linked to Lower Risk of Dying From Cardiovascular Disease.” Medscape, 08/29/2022. (medscape.com/viewarticle/979925)