Tea is one of the most consumed beverages in the world. Black tea is derived from the camellia sinensis plant and undergoes the process of fermentation, which gives it its color. Black tea's antioxidant properties can provide a plethora of health benefits, such as improving muscle recovery and boosting heart health.
Stroke
Drinking black tea might help prevent a stroke, according to the Science Daily website. Researchers reviewed nine studies describing strokes and discovered that consuming three cups of black tea per day reduced the risk for a stroke by 21 percent. Scientists are unsure of the mechanism or compounds that are accountable for this effect. They have suggested that the antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate or the amino acid theanine may be involved in the process.
Muscle Recovery
Muscle recovery is essential for fostering muscle growth and boosting performance at the gym. Researchers have investigated the impact of ingesting black tea extract on biomarkers of muscle damage such as delayed onset muscle soreness and oxidative stress. They found that supplementing with black tea extract significantly improves muscle recovery by reducing inflammation as well as delayed onset muscle soreness associated with high-intensity exercise, according to research published in the February 2010 issue of the "Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition." Scientists believe that theaflavins, which are antioxidant polyphenols, are the compounds in black tea responsible for improving recovery.
Heart Health
Besides preventing stroke and improving muscle recovery, black tea consumption also decreases the risk for coronary heart disease, the most common form of heart disease, according to research reported in the January 2003 issue of "Preventive Medicine." Scientists found that subjects drinking six cups of black tea per day had significantly lower incidence of coronary heart disease compared to non-tea-drinkers.
Diabetes
Researchers studied the polysaccharide levels of different teas and whether they can be useful in treating diabetes. Polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates that inhibit the absorption of glucose. This prevents a rapid rise in blood sugar and helps regulate blood glucose levels, both of which can help control diabetes. Scientists found that black tea's polysaccharides had the most glucose-inhibiting properties of all the teas.
References
- Science Daily: Green, Black Tea Can Reduce Stroke Risk, Research Suggests
- Journal of the Intl. Society of Sports Nutrition: Effects of Theaflavin-Enriched Black Tea Extract on muscle soreness, oxidative stress, inflammation, and endocrine responses to acute anaerobic interval training
- Preventive Medicine: Tea consumption and the prevalence of coronary heart disease in Saudi adults
- Science Daily: Black Tea May Fight Diabetes
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