Black Tea is produced from the tea bush Camellia Sinensis, a perennial evergreen shrub.Black tea has a long history of use dating back to China approximately 5,000 years ago.Black tea is a source of caffeine, a methylxanthine that stimulates the central nervous system, relaxes smooth muscle in the airways to the lungs (bronchioles), stimulates the heart, and acts on the kidney as a diuretic (increasing urine). One cup of tea contains about 50 milligrams of caffeine, depending on the strength and size of the cup (compared to coffee, which contains 65 to 175 milligrams of caffeine per cup). Tea also contains polyphenols (catechins, anthocyanins, phenolic acids), tannin, trace elements, and vitamins.
The tea plant is native to Southeast Asia and can grow up to a height of 40 feet, but is usually maintained at a height of two to three feet by regular pruning. In Darjeeling the first spring leaf buds, called the "first flush", are considered the highest-quality leaves. When the first flush leaf bud is picked, another one grows, which is called the second flush , and this continues until an autumn flush . In Assam the Second Flush is considered to produce the best quality teas, this normally happens from mid May each year depending on climactic conditions. The older leaves picked farther down the stems are considered to be of poorer quality. Only top quality tea is produced by plucking the youngest first two leaves and bud from the tea bush.
The health benefits of black tea have been well documented for quite some time, and if you are thinking of adding more black tea to your diet, then its health benefits likely have played a big part in your decision. The big difference between black tea and other types of tea, like white and green tea, is that it is more oxidized. As a result of this increased oxidation, black tea is a lot more flavorful and caffeine-laden than its counterparts which do not enjoy this amount of oxidation. Another difference is that the flavor of black tea is retained for quite a while longer - sometimes, up to several years longer - than the flavor among other teas.
Here are three health benefits to drinking black tea.1. Very Low in Sodium, Fat and Calories
Provided that you drink black tea that is pure and plain, and without the addition of sweeteners, you are drinking a tea that is ultra low in sodium, fat and calories. This property of black tea is advantageous for people who want to lose weight or even just control their weight. In essence, if you merely substitute the intake of other kinds of beverages like unhealthy soda drinks with black tea, you are already doing your body a great favor in sparing it the intake of weight gain causing calories. Furthermore, if you drink more black tea in place of other beverages that contain higher amounts of sodium and fat, you are helping your body become more healthy. Too much sodium is linked with all kinds of lethal conditions and diseases, while too much fat amounts to the same thing.
2. Reduce Cardiovascular Problems
Certain studies over the years have established that there is a direct relationship between increased black tea consumption and a decrease in cardiovascular disease. In 2001, Boston University found in a study that both short-term as well as long-term drinking of black tea actually reverses something called endothelial vasomotor dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease. This is a dysfunction which basically serves as a predictor for even more serious coronary events. The conclusions in the study backed up a previously held link between black tea and its propensity to lower cardiovascular problems.
3. Rich of Antioxidants
Another benefit of drinking black tea is a sizeable one: the abundance of antioxidants in it. Black tea is made from the camellia tea plant. The great benefit of this tea plant is that it comes with a plethora of the group of chemical substances known as polyphenol. These substances are one type of antioxidant, and antioxidants have been found to help in everything from the treatment of brain injury cases to treatments against hearing loss and also, potentially, Parkinson's disease. They are, however, no longer thought to significantly help fight diseases like cancer as they once were thought to.
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