What is Black Tea & Why Should I Care???
Updated: Mar 30, 2020
Of course you know what tea is, but do you know where it came from, why it's so popular, and all of the health benefits black tea has? If you do, carry on, nothing to see here. If not, then give this a read and find out why Black Tea should be a part of your daily health routine :)
HISTORY
Black Tea was first discovered in China in the 17th century. At the time, only green tea and oolong tea were known. The difference between black, green and oolong simply being how oxidized the tea leaves are allowed to become. Green tea is not oxidized at all, oolong tea is partially oxidized, and black tea is fully oxidized.
Prior to the 17th century, tea harvesting did not fully oxidize the tea leaves, and were it not for a military occupation, black tea would not have been discovered. The Jianxi army invaded the Fujian Province which brought a halt to standard tea production, allowing the tea leaves to be laid out in the sun for an extended period of time.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Antioxidants
Consuming antioxidants can help remove free radicals and decrease cell damage, which reduces the risk of chronic disease.
Polyphenols are common antioxidants found in black tea, specifically catechins, theaflavins and thearubigins. Theaflavins have been found to reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Heart Health
Black Tea also contains an antioxidant known as flavonoids, which have been found to benefit heart health.
Consuming flavanoids on a regular basis can reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and obesity.
A recent study found that drinking three cups of black tea per day had an 11% reduction in developing heart disease.
Cholesterol
Lipoprotein, or LDL is known to be a health risk for the body because it transports cholesterol to your cells. Studies have shown black tea can significantly reduce LDL cholesterol in the body leading to a reduction in the risk of heart failure and stroke.
Gut Health
Understanding microbiomes and bacterias in our gut is a science we still do not fully understand, and only recently has become a source of scientific research.
However, early studies are suggesting that gut bacteria might play an essential role in reducing IBS, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and cancer.
Black tea contains polyphenols that may promote good bacteria growth in the gut, not only limiting the growth of bad bacterias, but also potentially reducing the risk of IBS, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and cancer.
Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is a common medical issue globally effecting nearly 1-billion people.
High blood pressure can increase your risk of heart and kidney failure, stroke, loss of vision, and heart attacks.
A recent study had participants drinking three cups of black tea every day for six months. The results showed a significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Stroke
Defined as blocked or ruptured blood vessel, strokes are the second leading cause of death globally. 80% of all strokes are preventable, which is good news! While doctors suggest diet, exercise, reducing blood pressure, and not smoking can reduce the risk of smoking, studies are also suggesting black tea may also help reduce the risk of having a stroke.
A recent study of 74,961 people over 10 years (fairly significant) found that by consuming four or more cups of black tea per day reduced the risk of stroke by 32% over those who did not drink black tea.
Blood Sugar
Increased blood sugar levels can increase your risk of health complications including type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure and depression.
Black tea has been found to be a great beverage for enhancing the bodies efficiency in processing insulin. One study showed that black tea increased insulin activity in the body by 15x!
Cancer
A recent study suggested that polyphenols in black tea played a role in regulating the growth of cancer cells, while also reducing the development of new cancer cells.
The same polyphenols were also found reduce the spread of hormone-dependent breast tumors showing a decrease in the growth of breast cancer.
The science connecting black tea to reducing cancer risk is still infantile, and in no way ready to identify black tea as a cancer fighter, early results have shown enough promise for continued studies.
Focus
Black tea is commonly known to contain caffeine, but less commonly known is the amino acid L-theanine. L-theanine is known for improving alertness and focus, and studies have suggested black tea can play a role in improving focus, attention, alertness and accuracy.
SUMMARY
Black Tea has a long and rich history that spans centuries. It is commonly accepted that black tea is both healthy and tasty, but until recently many of the health claims were purely anecdotal.
Due to modern scientific resources and studies, we are beginning to identify and understand exactly what role black tea can play in maintaining healthy bodies and minds. While some health claims related to black tea have yet to be confirmed, one thing we can claim with certainty, black tea is a delicious, holistic way of consuming beverages that improve our health.
Check out our selection of delicious black teas and get started on your healthy journey today!
Check out our selection of black teas below!