10 Amazing Health Benefits of Black Tea

Black tea is one of the most popular beverages around the world. Pure tea is derived from the Camellia sinensis plant and is combined with other plants or compounds to achieve different blends and flavors such as English Breakfast and Earl Grey. While some prefer to avoid tea due to its caffeine content, there are also many known benefits of drinking black tea. 

Black tea is typically the strongest in flavor and contains higher amounts of caffeine than other teas, however, still less than coffee.

There are also many health benefits of black tea, especially due to the many antioxidant compounds contained in the tea leaves.

While black tea can be prepared plain, we recommend creating your own combinations of tea and various herbs or spices for new flavors and added health benefits. Zarlux Saffron also offers a selection of teas and herbals tea blends, specially curated for their amazing benefits.

Here are just 10 of the health benefits of drinking black tea:

1. Antioxidant properties

Black tea is rich in polyphenols that have antioxidant properties. These antioxidants can help eliminate free radicals and reduce cell damage in the body. Among the benefits of consuming antioxidants is that they may help decrease the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, elevated cholesterol, and diabetes and improve your overall health.

2. May Boost Heart Health

Flavonoids are another group of antioxidants present in black tea. They are also found vegetables, dark chocolate, fruits, and red wine. A diet rich in flavonoids may help reduce risk factors associated with heart diseases such as elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol, and elevated triglyceride levels.

3. May Lower “Bad” LDL Cholesterol

Studies have found that black tea may help reduce the LDL levels found throughout the body. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are one of the two types of lipoproteins that transport cholesterol throughout the body. Too much LDL in the bloodstream can cause build-up called plaques in the arteries, potentially leading to heart failure or stroke. A healthy diet such as one including clean foods and beverages such as tea and prevents risks of such diseases.

4. May Improve Gut Health

Gut bacteria play a significant role in overall health and digestive health. There are trillions of different bacteria in the gut. The polyphenols in black tea can help to promote the growth of good gut bacteria and help remove bad bacterial Black tea also contains antimicrobial properties that can remove harmful substances to improve the body’s immune system.

5. May Help Reduce Blood Pressure

Diet and lifestyle have a tremendous impact on our levels of blood pressure. High blood pressure can lead to many health consequences. However, research has shown that among the benefits of black tea is its potential to reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Of course, it is important to maintain an overall healthy and active lifestyle for the best benefits.

6. May Help Reduce the Risk of Stroke

Stroke is one of the top causes of death worldwide. A stroke happens when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked or ruptures. There are various risk factors for stroke. However, some studies have found that people who drank more than three cups of black tea per day had lower risks of stroke than those who did not drink tea. Learn more about the studies here and here. 

7. May Lower Blood Sugar Level

Elevated blood sugar levels can increase the risk of complications such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, and kidney failure. Aside from water, many beverages often contain unhealthy amounts of sugar. However, black tea is a great unsweetened beverage that can quench your thirst and help to balance insulin levels in the body. Black tea may also help to lower blood sugar and improve the metabolism of sugar in the body.

8. May Help Reduce the Risk of Cancer

Yup, it’s the polyphenols again. As we mentioned earlier, polyphenols fight and remove bad cells from the body. In this case, polyphenols may play a role in regulating the growth of cancer cells and reducing the ability of cells to spread. This does not make black tea a replacement to medical treatment for cancer, more research is necessary to better determine the link between tea and reducing cancer cell survival.  

9. May Improve Focus

Black tea contains caffeine and L-theanine, an amino acid, which can help improve focus and alertness. Some studies have shown that L-theanine increases the alpha activity in the brain, helping to relax and increase our focus. While this is a great benefit of black tea, there are also many types of tea, such as herbal tea that are caffeine-free for those who prefer to not consume caffeine.

10. Easy to Make

At the core, making black tea only requires two ingredients, black tea leaves, and water, and 10 minutes to steep. So, making black tea is a simple and cost-friendly way to enjoy a beneficial beverage.

We hope you enjoyed learning about the benefits of drinking black tea! To get a taste of what this tea is all about, see our selection of healthy and delicious tea and herbal beverage products in our online shop.