Well, did you know that green tea as well as black, white and oolong teas are all derived from the same plant - Camellia sinensis. The only difference is the way of processing. Green tea, as opposed to black and oolong, is the one that's processed the least - the process of oxidation is skipped here. This is the reason why it retains its green color.
Green tea is already well known for its health benefits. Now black tea is also showing to have benefits. Some components in black tea, such as theaflavins and thearubigins, may be considered as insulin substitute.
Green tea is produced by lightly steaming the fresh cut black tea leaf, whereas black tea, the leaves are oxidized which destroys some of the compounds which have the potent antioxidant and anticancer properties that green tea has.
Viral & Bacterial Agents Lowered:
Green tea has shown to inhibit the spread of disease. Tea catechins are strong antibacterial and antiviral agents which make them effective in treating everything from tooth decay and HIV. Green tea can also relieve influenza and diarrhea.
Black tea has been found to increase the presence of certain anti-bacterial proteins in the body. Not just by a little bit either, but a considerable amount. When compared to coffee drinkers, tea drinkers actually had a concentration of disease preventing protein that was 400% higher. Clearly, these are significant health benefits to be had from drinking tea. The are even more benefits though. Mental acuity can be increased as well. A study of elderly people found that those who drink tea actually reduce their risk of mental problems by half when compared to people who don't drink tea.
Cholesterol Reduction:
Researchers have found that by drinking green tea the "bad" cholesterol can be reduced, and tea drinkers can eat almost twice the foods containing cholesterol as those who don't drink green tea, but still have an equal cholesterol count. This is important to note if you are an off-season bodybuilder and may be consuming hi amounts of cholesterol.
Tea is the only natural source of fluoride for humans. We already know that fluoride strengthens tooth enamel and decreases mouth bacteria. Tea makes a great mouthwash since it inhibits the growth of E. coli and Streptococcus.
Another benefit of green tea consumption is improved endurance capacity. The energy provided for the enhanced endurance is again from the increase in fat oxidation. With other words you will last more when running or doing any other intense physical activity, while using fat for energy.
Tea helps boost metabolism because it contains Vitamins B1 (Thiamine) and B2 (Riboflavin.) These B vitamins are also found in eggs and nuts. They are necessary for converting food into energy the body can burn. Riboflavin also helps the body metabolize proteins. Insufficient store of B vitamins has been linked to strokes.
All tea come from the same plant, called Camellia sinensis. The tea plant is an evergreen perennial that grows in warm weather. For decades, tea made from Camellia sinensis has been studied for their health-improving properties. The first tea to be studied was green tea, which is known for its cancer-fighting benefits. However, recent research shows that any tea - including oolong and black tea - derived from the leaf of the Camellia sinensis plant have similar cancer-fighting properties.
Black tea health benefits owe much to the presence of polyphenols in the leaves of Camellia sinensis. Scientists used to believe that black tea contains little polyphenols, if not, none at all. That's because the processing method used in black tea, called fermentation or oxidation, causes the polyphenols to react, transforming them into compounds that do not quite have the same health-giving effect as polyphenols. But later research soon dispelled that notion and so, black tea health benefits now include the disease-fighting polyphenols.
Polyphenols are antioxidants that help protect cells from the normal, but damaging physiological process known as "oxidative stress" brought about by the presence of unbalanced oxygen particles called "free radicals." These free radicals are know to directly cause aging, heart disease, cancer, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and various other degenerative diseases. By fighting these free radicals and destroying them, the polyphenols present in black tea help the body cope with oxidative stress.
Another source of black tea health benefits is the compounds, theaflavins and thearubigens. These are the same compounds that give black tea its distinctive color and flavor. However, new studies showed that theaflavins and thearubigens do more than add flavor and color to black tea; they actually have black tea health benefits that are good for the body.
Several medical journals have also featured several other black tea health benefits. They declared that tea was a potential heart tonic, cancer blocker, fat buster, immune stimulant, arthritis soother, virus fighter, and cholesterol detoxifier.
"Tea is beating all scientific expectations as the most potent health beverage ever," says researcher John Weisburger at the American Health Foundation. "The many ways tea can promote health is truly astonishing."
Here's what a cup or two of black tea can do for you with its many black tea health benefits:
Save Your Arteries
One of the black tea health benefits is preventing deadly clogging of the arteries. In addition to that, drinking the beverage is also said to reverse poor arterial functioning - a condition that could trigger heart attacks and strokes.
Protect Yourself from Cancer
Tea has long been tied to a lower risk of stomach, colon, and breast cancer. Now, lab studies find that there are certain chemicals with black tea health benefits that could stop or inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
Tames Inflammation
Black tea health benefits also include relieving pain and inflammation due to arthritis. Research at Rutgers said that the anti-cancer compound in black tea can also suppress the Cox-2 gene that triggers inflammation.
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