Black Tea Benefits

Many people think that different teas come from different plants, but the truth is that, other than herbal teas, they all come from the Camellia Sinensis plant. The difference is the amount of oxidation - black tea is the most heavily oxidized and studies are showing that black tea benefits might be the most potent for your health.

Much of the this type of tea originated in China and has a strong flavor. The leaves are harvested, then they are washed and dried. They can be purchased ground up in tea bags or sold as whole leaves. No matter how you buy your black tea, the flavor will reflect the region it comes from as each has a slightly different way of processing. In the Fujian Province, it is dried over burning pine leaves giving it a smoky flavor. The Yunnan Province yields a dark, malty flavored tea. Black teas from India offers a full bodied astringent tea called Assam as well as Darjeeling which has a slightly spicy flavor. Of course, there is also the famous Earl Grey tea with it's perfumey taste which comes from a blend of black tea with a bit of bergamot oil added.

Aside from the taste, there are some tea benefits for your health as well. Of course this tea is loaded with antioxidants. The compounds theaflavins and thearubigens give it it's dark color and flavor but researchers also think they mop up abnormal cells purging them from the body before they have a chance to mutate in to cancer.

A study in the Netherlands found that black tea could reduce the risk of stroke. It was found the flavonoids in black tea reduced the production of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the body. It was found that men who drank 4 cups of tea had significantly lower risk of stroke - this study was supported by another one done at Boston's School of Medicine.

This specific tea can also help reduce the risk of certain cancers. One study found that drinking it could help prevent oral cancer, particularly in those who smoke or chew tobacco. Clinical trials performed by Dr. Junshi Chen from the Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine found that black tea could help reduce precancerous lesions when applied topically and can also slow the development of both colon and lung cancer in mice.

We've heard a lot about green tea and how beneficial it is to your health, but that is simply because most of the studies have been done on green tea. Researchers are now finding that the black tea benefits are just as good if not better than the green. Either way, it makes for a great tasting drink - so why not drink up!

Do you know about teas? Are you a tea drinker or a tea giver? Well I'm both, and embrace that creating a great cup of tea is like a form of dance. It's dramatic, I agree. Visit Different Types of Teas now http://www.differenttypesofteas.com/ so you can continue to benefit from that which you love.

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