While the health benefits of coffee, tea, and caffeine are bandied about all over the internet without a shred of true scientific proof, black tea gives you some very specific health benefits. Coffee may taste great (as long as you grind the beans in a top-rated burr mill), but black tea will slow the growth of cancer cells. And it’s also half the caffeine of a normal cup of coffee, so you can enjoy two cups!
Black tea comes from the same plant as white or green tea, but the difference between them lies in the way the tea leaves are processed after they are picked. Green and white teas go through very little processing while on the other hand black tea is completely oxidized. That doesn’t mean that black tea loses any of its health benefits on the contrary. Here are some of the health benefits of drinking black tea.
- Black tea is high in antioxidants which help combat damage from free radicals.
- Black tea will help reduce the risks of heart attacks and strokes, it opens up the blood vessels and arteries providing increased blood flow to your heart.
- Black tea will help in the fight against cancer, it slows the growth of cancer cells without any damage to your healthy cells.
- It helps you fight the signs of aging, lots of anti-aging creams contain ingredients from black tea to help you look and feel younger.
- Black tea can help you lose weight. It helps to speed up your metabolism and burn fat, combine that with regular exercise and you will hit your goal weight in no time flat.
- Black tea can help reduce glucose levels in patients with diabetes. Diabetes in turn leads to other health issues like increased chances of blindness and risks of stroke.
- Reduces the amount of bad cholesterol in your body, it also helps to increase the good cholesterol that we all need.
- Drinking black tea can help reduce tooth decay since it contains fluoride, however beware of staining on your teeth from drinking tea.
- Drink black tea…well…black. Adding milk and sugar can reduce the health benefits that you can find in black tea. Do try and skip the milk and sugar if you can.
If you’re already a tea drinker why not consider switching to black tea instead and reap the many health benefits that come with black tea. 3-5 cups everyday can go a long way to improving your health. Combine black tea with a healthy diet and exercise and you can dramatically reduce the risks of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and other health issues.
I love to listen to music while I enjoy a good cup of tea. There are two things I am willing to spend a little extra on to get good quality: tea and headphones. For a good guide to mid-range headphones click here.
If black tea doesn’t exactly suit your tastes that’s okay, try some green or white tea instead. If you are unsure how to make teas with loose leaves or how to let the tea steep properly here is a video to show you how to make the perfect cup of tea each and every time.
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