10 Benefits of Black Tea
Tea is one of the most popular beverages on the planet. There are a lot of different types out there. Green and black tea are among the most popular varieties. It is known that people who live in areas where people drink much more tea than the rest of the world are known to live quite a bit longer than those who don’t drink tea.
Black tea comes from a plant known as Camellia sinensis. There are different varieties of black tea that are often made by including leaves from other plants. Earl Grey and chai tea are both popular tea mixtures that include black tea. Black tea is higher in terms of caffeine content compared to other teas like green tea; however, it has significantly less than coffee does. It’s also generally more intense in terms of taste than other teas.
On that note, tea is able to provide stimulation and promote wakefulness. It’s a choice morning beverage for people who find that coffee is too stimulating. Stimulation isn’t the only reason that people drink black tea, though. There are a lot of health benefits associated with drinking tea, such as improved heart health and longevity. In this article, we’re going to discuss some of the most impressive health benefits associated with drinking black tea on a regular basis.
Benefit #1: Fights Oxidation
One of the best things about black tea is the fact that it contains a significant number of antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that are introduced to your body with an extra electron. This extra electron can prevent what’s known as free radicals from doing damage to the body by supplying them where an electron is needed.
Oxidation is known to cause a number of problems in the body. It leads to the breakdown of muscles and brain power and can cause diseases. It is the main cause of aging, and ingesting antioxidants on a regular basis can be great for improving health in later years.
Benefit #2: Enhances Heart Health
Another thing that black tea is known to be useful for is helping to enhance the health of the heart. This is partly because of a certain class of nutrients found in black tea that are known to boost the health of your heart.
These nutrients are known as flavonoids, and they have been shown to help fight off problems like high blood pressure and excessive cholesterol. These are two factors that can contribute to heart disease if they are left unchecked.
Benefit #3: Reduces Cholesterol
Not all cholesterol is bad. There is a distinction between what we know as “good” and “bad” cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is referred to as “good” cholesterol because it helps the body get rid of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. If you’re going to reduce cholesterol levels, you’ll want to reduce LDL.
Fortunately, black tea is a great natural way to help reduce cholesterol levels. Drinking black tea several times a day has been shown to have an impressive effect on reducing the body’s overall cholesterol levels.
Benefit #4: Enhances Digestive Health
One of the most interesting things about black tea is that it’s known to have a positive effect on the bacteria that are found in your gut. There are both positive and negative bacteria in your gut, some of which promote your digestion and others which can cause problems if they are able to flourish too much.
Black tea is able to help reduce the amount of bad bacteria in your gut while also being able to increase the amount of good bacteria. It’s known to be able to fight off bacteria like Salmonella and can reduce the chance of developing bacterial infections.
Benefit #5: Helps Manage Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is one of the most common problems in the world today. In fact, more than a billion people around the world have at least some issue with high blood pressure. The problem is known to increase a person’s risk for developing heart disease.
People who drink a lot of black tea have reported scoring less for both their systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However, some people reported more significant improvement than other people.
Benefit #6: Helps Prevent Strokes
A stroke is a condition in which a blood vessel in the brain either bursts or becomes blocked in some way, and they are generally extremely damaging if not fatal. The good news is that you can lower the chances of having a stroke by doing healthy things, such as drinking black tea.
One huge study done over a ten-year period evaluated almost 75,000 people. People who reported drinking at least 4 cups of tea on a daily basis were more than 30% less likely to have a stroke.
Benefit #7: Helps Manage Blood Sugar
Another thing that is known to cause health problems is high blood sugar. High blood sugar is linked to illnesses like diabetes, obesity, and various heart problems. Obviously, eating extreme amounts of sugar will increase your blood sugar, but aside from avoiding that, doing things like drinking tea can help.
Black tea helps to enhance the function of insulin, the hormone produced by the body that helps us regulate and process blood sugar.
Benefit #8: Helps Fight Cancer
Cancer is one of the most common and dangerous diseases that we live with in the world today. A number of substances that can be obtained by drinking black tea have been shown to help fight cancer.
The numerous antioxidants can help slow the development of the disease, and some of the polyphenols found in black tea leaves have been shown to make it harder for cancer cells to live.
Benefit #9: Enhances Cognition
There’s little doubt that black tea can be useful for enhancing cognition. Some people would even consider it a nootropic.
Because black tea contains caffeine and a relaxing amino acid known as L-theanine, it can promote focus and concentration without causing the jittery effects that coffee is known for.
Benefit #10: Enhances Energy
The most common reason that people drink black tea is because it provides an energy boost. Black tea is great for providing a morning pick-me-up and can provide an energy boost that doesn’t necessarily keep you awake into the late hours of the night.
Black tea is much better to drink in the evening than stronger beverages like coffee.
