Tea has been getting a lot of good press lately, but most people don’t know what the difference between varieties means for them. Black tea comes from the camellia sinesis plant just like green tea and oolong, but it is crushed and fermented the longest. This makes black tea stronger in flavor and higher in caffeine.
Black tea contains 2-4% caffeine. This means that an 8 oz. glass has approximately 40 to 120 mg of caffeine. The fermenting process also allows black tea to keep its flavor for several years. In addition to caffeine, black tea is high in antioxidants that have many health benefits.
Black tea is consumed by steeping leaves and stems in hot water then straining them out and discarding. The liquid can be consumed hot or chilled. Black tea contains no fat, calories, protein or sodium and is not considered a supplement.
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Benefits of Caffeine in Black Tea Caffeine is a stimulant found in such things as coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate. Black tea has a lower level of caffeine when prepared then coffee. This means you can consume enough black tea to get the health benefits without as much of the side effe... more
Caffeine is a stimulant found in such things as coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate. Black tea has a lower level of caffeine when prepared then coffee.
This means you can consume enough black tea to get the health benefits without as much of the side effects. The side effects of consuming too much caffeine are headache, jitters, sleep problems, dizziness, and diarrhea.
The caffeine in black tea can be useful for many things. According to the National Institute of Health, caffeine can increase mental alertness, memory and processing skills.
Black tea is also useful for treating headaches and low blood pressure. Studies showed consuming black tea reduced incidents of dizziness upon standing in elderly by raising their blood pressure.
Black tea has also shown to help with athletic performance. Caffeine increases muscle reaction time. The heart and lung muscles are also stimulated to increase oxygen flow in the body.
Another benefit of black tea is that it stimulates digestion and kidney function. This combined with the diuretic properties of black tea can help rid the body of toxins.
One type of antioxidant black tea is rich in is polyphenols. Black tea has eight times the polyphenols then found in fruits and vegetables.
Why is this good? Well, polyphenols are responsible for ridding the body of free radicals that cause cell damage. They have also been shown to block DNA damage caused by tobacco and other toxic chemicals.
Another type of antioxidant found in black tea is flavonoids. The three most abundantly found flavonoids are thearubigins, epicatechins, and catechins.
Flavonoids have shown benefits in heart health. They relax the arteries to increase blood flow and help to decrease damage to lining caused by high cholesterol.
Recent studies in how tea is consumed and its effect on antioxidant levels have shown while sugar seems to make no change in its antioxidants, milk can significantly decrease levels. As little as two teaspoons of milk or cream in a cup of black tea lowered the amount of antioxidants the body could absorb.
Dairy seems to bond to the antioxidants so they pass through the body faster. Fat content did not seem to be the cause, and skim milk had the most negative effect on flavonoid absorption.
Parkinson’s disease affects the central nervous system. According to Web MD, Parkinson’s is a progressive disease that stops the nerves from producing dopamine.
Dopamine is received by the brain to control muscle movement. Symptoms of Parkinson’s disease usually start with tremors, stiff muscles, slow movement, and trouble standing or walking.
Consuming black tea has been proven to help decrease the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease dramatically. Consuming as little as 23 cups a month reduced the risk by 71%. It also lowered the occurrence among smokers. People with the disease have also shown a reduction in the symptoms of Parkinson’s.
Men seemed to have the greatest results from consuming higher amounts of caffeine where as women showed to only need moderate amounts. The lowest risk group for men consumed 421 – 2716 mg of caffeine a day.
Woman only seemed to need 40 – 480 mg to receive maximum benefits. The caffeine in black tea however was not the only benefit. The high levels of antioxidants also contributed largely to the decrease in Parkinson’s disease.
Black tea is regarded as safe for most people in moderation. Consuming large quantities of more than 5 cups a day can cause nervousness, inability to sleep, irritability, headache, and tremors. Black tea can also be responsible for vomiting, diarrhea, and heartburn.
Large amounts of black tea over time can create a psychological dependency; it may also make certain conditions worse. You should be careful of your intake of black tea if you have anemia, clotting disorders, diabetes, or glaucoma.
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Contraindicated For Certain Medical Conditions |
Diarrhea |
Headaches |
Heartburn |
Irritability |
Nervousness |
Sleeplessness |
Tremor |
Vomiting |
Black Leaf Tea, Camellia sinensis |
Antioxidant Rich |
Arterial Health |
Digestion |
Diuretic |
Fights Free Radicals |
Headaches |
Heart Health |
Increases Oxygen Flow |
Kidney Function |
Low Blood Pressure |
Memory |
Mental Alertness |
Muscle Function |
Parkinson's Disease |
Performance Enhancement |
Stimulant |