Black tea contains nutrients that may boost heart health and combat various diseases. It may have properties to reverse heart disease, but studies continue on its effects against cancer. The tea is flavorful and retains its flavor for a long time, possibly years. Black tea comes from the evergreen tree known as Camellia sinensis. The leaves from the tree contain polyphenols, antioxidants that may hold the health benefits of black tea.
Ingredients
Black tea and other teas contain caffeine, amino acids, carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and fluoride, which may help protect your teeth. Much research focuses on the antioxidant polyphenols in tea that may bring a variety of health benefits.
Low Sodium, Calories
Drinking black tea works well in a diet to lose weight or manage a healthy weight. Black tea has low sodium and calorie content as long as you don’t add sweeteners, the FitDay health website notes. Black tea makes a healthy substitute for unhealthy soft drinks while providing you with an enjoyable flavor to go with your meals.
Antioxidants
An analysis by British researchers found a variety of positive health effects from black tea, including evidence that the tea reduces the risk of heart disease, according to research reported in the July 2006 online edition of the “European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.” The researchers reviewed data from studies that occurred from 1990 to 2004. Drinking three cups of black tea a day may reduce your risk of heart disease, the researchers concluded, and drinking up to six cups a day may improve your intake of antioxidants involved in combating the disease. Their research also found moderate evidence that black tea helps bone mineral density and that it may contribute to dental health by protecting the teeth from cavities. Although the Tea Council sponsored the study, the researchers said the sponsors played no part in the review.
Cancer
The antioxidants known as polyphenols in black tea may help prevent blood clotting, reduce harmful cholesterol levels and fight against such disorders as Parkinson’s disease, hearing loss and brain injuries, but studies in these areas continue. These antioxidants hold the promise of combating various cancers, but research remains inconclusive, according to the National Cancer Institute. Black tea has more oxidation than other teas, which increases its concentration of certain complex polyphenols that provide protection from free radicals that cause oxidative damage to cells. The polyphenols in black tea have been shown to inhibit tumor cells in lab and animal studies. The institute points out that tea is generally safe to drink but that it neither recommends nor advises against using tea to reduce the risk of any type of cancer.
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