A woman with dark hair and bangs smelling a hot cup of black tea with health benefits.

5 Remarkably Powerful Reasons to Drink Black Tea

Black tea's health benefits are numerous and have been used for thousands of years as a natural remedy for many kinds of ailments, especially in the Eastern world. There’s no doubt that black tea has some benefits. But do traditional practices and the placebo effect overshadow these benefits, or are they real? 

In this science-backed article, we will dive into some studies and facts uncovered by the science community about black tea and how it may give you a boost of nutrients. Black tea might even have anti-cancer properties! But, first, you’ll learn about what black tea is and what makes it unique compared to other teas.

What is Black Tea?

A closeup of whole black tea leaves with multiple health benefits.

Black tea, like every other true tea, is harvested from the Camellia sinensis plant. Quality black, green, oolong, and white teas are made from leaves meticulously plucked by hand and treated to make thousands of different flavors and types of tea. What sets black tea apart from every other tea is the intense oxidation process it goes through. 

When black tea leaves are harvested — like Assam, Darjeeling, and English breakfast — the leaves are rolled so their cell walls break down. This causes the release of enzymes and essential oils. 

The leaves are left out to oxidize much longer than most other teas. They transform from a green hue to a deep amber brown. 

In the Western world, we call this dark-leafed tea “black tea”, but in the Eastern world, it’s called “red tea”. Black teas in the East are even darker and more robust, but the compound found in “red tea” may be the secret to some amazing black tea health benefits.

The Powerful Compound that Makes Black Tea Health Benefits Unique

A tulip-shaped glass cup on a saucer filled with beneficial black tea.

Black teas in the East are a different type of tea that goes through an extra fermentation and aging process. They are called pu-erh teas and their liquid is a deep dark brown color. What we know as black tea in the West is called “red tea” in China, and for a good reason.

When you steep black tea you will notice that the liquid is more of a reddish hue than a black hue. This red color in Western black tea is the result of the compounds that are formed from the oxidation step. 

This important compound is called theaflavin — a phytonutrient or polyphenol that may have a plethora of black tea health benefits. These benefits include antioxidant and anti-inflammation properties and promising anti-cancer properties.

5 Seriously Amazing Health Benefits of Black Tea

1. Reap Antioxidant Properties

Antioxidants are important to your health because they help protect your cells from free radicals, which may help reduce the risk of diseases and even cancers. Black tea’s polyphenols are antioxidants. One of the best ways to add antioxidants to your diet is through food and drink. 

2. Regulate Your Cholesterol

Your body has both good and bad cholesterol. Too much bad cholesterol can lead to plaque buildup in your arteries that can lead to heart attack or stroke. Studies show that drinking black tea may greatly reduce bad cholesterol.

3. Promote Your Healthy Gut Bacteria

A closeup of a woman with black workout clothes holding her hands in the shape of a heart over her stomach.

Just like cholesterol, there are also good and bad bacteria in your body. Your gut microbiome is full of trillions of bacteria that can have a lot of influence over your health. Some studies show that polyphenols in tea might kill the growth of harmful bacteria in the gut.

4. Decrease Your Insulin and Blood Sugar Levels

Studies show that theaflavins found in unsweetened black tea can help reduce blood sugar levels. One unsweetened black tea health benefit is that it can also lower insulin levels. In some studies, patients with diabetes not only saw a reduction in their blood glucose but had an improvement in their insulin levels as well.

5. Inhibit the Risk of Cancer

Studies show that one black tea health benefit has the promising potential to inhibit cancer stimulation. In order to understand how black tea might help with cancer treatment, you have to understand what cancer needs to grow and survive. Here’s the relationship between black tea and cancer.

Black Tea and Cancer

Two women smiling and holding cups of black tea with health benefits.

Understanding Cancer Cells - How Cancer Protects Itself

All the cells in your body are held together by lipids which are foundational for all your living cells. Lipids are made from an enzyme called fatty acid synthase (FAS). 

One of the reasons cancer cells are so difficult to destroy is because of the heavy lipid membrane that forms around them. Cancer cells need more lipids than other cells in order to protect themselves and survive.

The protective shield of lipids in some cancer cells makes them resistant to treatments like chemotherapy. Some studies state that if you can restrain or slow the growth of the enzyme that makes the lipid membrane, you might be able to inhibit cancer. And black tea's health benefits might be able to help with this.

How Black Tea May Help Fight Cancer

A glass teacup on a glass saucer with black tea and a branch of light pink cherry blossoms.

Cancer cells need FAS to make its protective lipid membrane — if you inhibit FAS you may be able to inhibit cancer. Remember that important compound, theaflavin? It turns out that theaflavin — the phytonutrient in black tea — can decrease FAS.

Theaflavin in black tea might be a FAS inhibitor — which means black tea might be able to help break down the lipids that protect cancer cells. This black tea health benefit might have strong anti-cancer properties which may help slow or reduce cancer growth. 

Adding Black Tea to Your Routine

A glass teapot full of black tea with many health benefits on a white table with tea pastries and fresh flowers.

Adding black tea to your daily routine is easy, but you want to make sure you are drinking quality tea that will benefit you — not harm you. As a general rule, you will want to stay away from tea bags that release microplastics and toxic materials and are made with tea dust. 

The tea used to make tea bags is not the same tea that is used for whole-leaf teas. Tea dust is made from different parts of the tea plant. This “tea” is overprocessed which may result in a lack of beneficial nutrients and a bitter flavor.

If you do decide to purchase tea bags, there is a better alternative — look for 100% compostable tea bags made with whole-leaf teas. Compostable tea sachets break down within a few months in your home compost. They are significantly more sustainable than biodegradable tea bags and they don’t release microplastics into your tea which can have long-term health consequences.

Loose whole-leaf USDA Certified Organic black teas might provide you with the most nutrients and benefits — they will also taste much better. When drinking tea, do not add sugar as this will diminish the health benefits of black tea. 

Drink Quality Black Tea From Teabloom

A glass teapot on a glass tea warmer with black tea on a table with fresh tulips and tea pastries.

These scientific studies that support the potential health benefits of black tea are promising. If you want to add quality tea to your routine, consider drinking kosher and organic certified black tea from Teabloom. 

Teabloom is on a mission to clean up the tea industry for the better with responsibly sourced teas, compostable tea sachets, and revolutionary borosilicate glass teaware. Explore hand-crafted and exquisite teaware that brings out the best in every cup of tea. 

For healthier tea with the purest flavor, make the switch to Teabloom.

www.Teabloom.com

*The information provided in this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention. If you or someone you know has a medical concern, you should consult with your professional healthcare provider or seek other professional medical treatment.