Both black and green varieties of tea--produced from Camellia sinensis leaves--are rich in antioxidants called catechins, which are thought to reduce damage from free radicals that contribute to aging and the development of cancer. In 2002, each person in the United States consumed an average .44 lbs. of tea, according to NationMaster.com.
Cholesterol Levels
Drinking black tea and green tea nets you similar cholesterol-lowering benefits, according to researchers published in the October 2009 issue of the "Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry." In a study funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, D. Singh and colleagues at the University of Kentucky examined how green and black tea extracts affected rats' cholesterol formation in the liver. Black tea extract lowered cholesterol formation by 78 percent, whereas green tea reduced cholesterol formation by 55 percent.
Cancer Prevention
Green tea, but not black tea, may inhibit or prevent cancer growth, according to the National Cancer Institute. Chinese tea drinkers (green tea is a staple in China) had half the risk of esophageal or stomach cancer, compared with non-tea drinkers, according to research led by C. Sun and published in a 2002 issue of the "Journal of Carcinogenesis." In contrast, a separate study of black tea drinkers in the Netherlands found no reduced risk of colorectal, lung, stomach or breast cancer, compared with those who didn't drink tea. The National Cancer Institute suggests that because green tea undergoes less processing than black tea, it may retain more cancer-fighting antioxidants.
Arthritis
Green tea may reduce the severity of arthritis, but there's no evidence that black tea offers the same benefits. Researchers led by H. Kim at Rutgers University and the University of Maryland found that rats with joint inflammation that drank water containing green tea extract had a significant reduction in arthritis severity, according to research published in the November 2008 issue of the "Journal of Nutrition." The researchers did not examine the effect of black tea on joint problems.
Cognitive Function
Both black and green tea appear to benefit memory and the ability to process information in older adults. Singaporean researchers led by L. Feng found that individuals over the age of 55 who consumed black/Oolong tea and green tea scored better on cognitive tests, according to research published in the June 2010 issue of the "Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging."
References
- National Cancer Institute: Tea and Cancer Prevention
- NationMaster: Tea Consumption (Most Recent) by Country
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Study Uses Rat Liver Cells To Explore Cholesterol-Lowering Mechanisms of Tea
- National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Green Tea May Help Protect Against Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging; Cognitive Function and Tea Consumption in Community Dwelling Older Chinese in Singapore; L. Feng et al.; June 2010
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