You have heard the old saying ‘Well, you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.’ But should we judge a tea by its color? There are four main types of tea out there and the two most popular of these would have to be Green Tea and Black Tea. And we have often heard the talk about how Green tea can be healthy for us and how we should drink it when we are sick. Well, what about the other tea, ‘normal’ tea? Rumor has it that this ‘Black tea’ is also good for you. So what’s the difference between the two and which is better for us?
Well when starting to look at these questions it is important to note that all teas come from the same plant and its leaves. This is Camellia Sinensis plant. With the types of teas and their colors, tastes, aromas, and types differing from the regions in which they are grown. Even teas of the same color may taste or smell differently, depending on which country they hail from. Green tea and Black tea would have to be the two more popular teas, at least in North America. It seems that both of these teas have health benefits that you may or may not be aware of.
Until recently it was mostly the health benefits of Green tea and the research surrounding this that was making the most news. However, recently it has been noted that Black tea, the ‘normal’ tea we seem to drink often on a somewhat daily basis in North America seems to be really good for us too. It is just that these two teas seem to serve different health purposes. I am not sure if it can be said if one of these teas is necessarily better than the other but rather that both are good for you and can help you and your body with certain things.
The main benefit of Green tea is the fact that it is loaded with a powerful anti-oxidant known as EGCg. When it comes to the process of making ‘Black tea’ it turns out that this chemical compound is actually converted into other compounds, leaving researchers thinking that this tea did not reap as many health benefits as its lighter toned brother. However, recent research has revealed that Black tea, like Green tea, is also healthy for you. This time it is the theaflavins and thearubigens compounds found in Black tea which give the tea a health boost, not only just with providing it with it’s dark color and distinct taste.
One thing to remember when it comes to the supposed benefits of different kinds of tea is to know that tea research itself is still in the very early stages. Yes, there are plenty of articles out there that are based on observational research studies pointing toward the relationship between tea consumption and the risk of cardiovascular disease and even cancer. However, there is no concrete conclusive evidence that says that tea drinking provides protective/healing benefits in all humans.
Due to the fact that most of the research out there points to the benefits of Green tea I would like to point out some of the research involving it’s darker relative, Black tea.
Black tea is found to contain flavonoids, which is a phytonutrient with anti-oxidant benefits. The consumption of black tea, with the aid of the flavonoids, can lead to the reduction of stoke and heart disease risk because the flavonoids help to reduce LDL (the bad cholesterol) that is associated with helping to cause these two diseases. There are many studies out there that have pointed to supporting these findings.
Now you should realize that color doesn’t matter, or does it? Well, we have learned that both Black tea and Green tea have not only their own distinctive colors, flavors, and aromas but also they have their own specific health benefits. So no matter what your tastes are you should consider what needs ailing when you turn to your favorite tea too.
