Tea contains flavanoids, which provide various health benefits. Black, white and green teas all come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, but how growers process the tea leaves determines the final color of the tea. Black tea leaves are rolled, broken and allowed to fully ferment or oxidize to produce the characteristic black color of the tea. Black tea contains different flavanoids than green and white teas and has a higher caffeine content. Brew black tea with water and enjoy it hot or cold as a refreshing beverage.
Nutrients in Tea
The flavanoids in black tea include theaflavins, thearubigens and the flavanols myricitin, kaempferol and quercetin. Some evidence in animal studies suggests these flavanoids can help prevent disease. Black tea also contains a small amount of fluoride, which may be helpful in preventing tooth decay.
Black Tea and Bone Density
A 2003 study of more than 91,000 women who took part in the Women's Health Initiative Study found that those who drank 4 or more cups of tea daily had an overall higher bone density, while those who drank at least 3 cups of tea a day had higher spinal bone density. This was compared to women who did not drink tea. The women were surveyed about their tea consumption and bone health was measured by considering the results of bone density tests and the rate of fracture among the women.
Action of Tea on Bones
The researchers who conducted the 2003 study theorized that drinking tea may increase bone density due to the estrogen effect of flavanoids in tea. Estrogen helps your body build bone density, but as women age, they lose estrogen. Flavanoids in tea can mimic the effect of estrogen somewhat, thus may help prevent bone loss. The fluoride in tea also helps calcium bond to bones and may help increase bone strength, but at the time of publication the exact mechanism by which tea promotes bone density is unknown.
Significance
In 2007 researchers reported in the "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition" that a survey of previous research regarding black tea consumption suggested a positive correlation between drinking black tea and bone density. But the researchers found so few experiments to explore this connection that they deemed the evidence still inconclusive. From the 2003 study, it seems clear that you'd need to drink a quart or more of black tea daily to realize the most health benefit.
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