Tea is one of the most, if not the most, popular beverages in the world. It’s been consumed by millions, maybe even billions of people worldwide for thousands of years.
It has been shown to have heaps of health benefits which are thought to be related to tea’s antioxidant properties. These antioxidant properties come from its flavonoids known as “catechins.” Flavonoids are anti-inflammatory and have a variety of health benefits that I’m going to talk about in this post.
So, what’s the difference between Green tea & black tea?
Well first of all let’s talk about what they have in common. Both teas come from the same shrub called camellia sinensis that’s native to China and India.
Green tea contains slightly more health-promoting flavonoids than black tea due to the difference in the way the leaves are processed.
When the leaves are steamed or heated they stay green as the heat stops oxidation from turning them black. Once this is completed they’re dried to preserve the colour and flavonoids which are the antioxidants.
Hence you get green tea.
If the leaves are crushed and rolled, and not heated, then they continue to oxidize until they’re dry. This oxidation actually uses up some of the flavonoids’ antioxidant power, so black teas have slightly less ability to combat free radicals than green tea does.
TIP: Adding milk to your tea reduces the antioxidant ability.
Both green and black teas contain about half of the caffeine in coffee. That about 20-45 mg caffeine per 235ml.
Green tea vs. black tea – Health Benefits
In general, tea drinking seems to be associated with good health.
Heart health – Both green and black tea drinkers seem to have high levels of antioxidants in their blood compared with those who don’t drink teas. Green and black tea drinkers also have lower risks of heart attacks and stroke. Drinking green tea, in particular, is associated with reduced triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL oxidation, all of which are risk factors for heart conditions.
Overall, it seems to be that drinkers of green and black tea have a lower risk of heart problems. Green tea has also been shown to reduce risk factors (i.e., blood lipid levels) a bit more than black tea has.
Cancers – Antioxidants have been found to reduce the risk of many cancers. Studies show that both green and black teas can reduce the risk of prostate cancer, the most common cancer in men. Not only that but, green tea drinkers have a lowered risk of breast and colorectal cancers. Also, black tea is being researched for its potential to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.
Overall, antioxidant flavonoids in tea help to reduce the risk of some different cancers. Green tea may be slightly better than black tea with this, but both seem to be associated with lower cancer risk which can only be a good think I reckon.
Diabetes – Both kinds of tea can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They also reduce diabetes risk factors, like elevated blood sugar levels and insulin resistance. Some studies have shown that both green and black teas can help reduce blood sugar levels. Other studies have also shown that green tea can also improve insulin sensitivity.
Once more, green tea seems to have a slight edge over black tea, but both are blood sugar friendly, just be mindful not to overdo the sweetener.
Conclusion
Both green and black teas originate from the same plant, but the difference comes from the fact that they are processed differently. Green tea retains more of the beneficial antioxidants than black tea does; but both are associated with better health than non-tea drinkers.
Overall, both green and black teas are healthy drinks so long as you don’t overdo it with milk and/or sweeteners as they reduce some of the health promoting properties of tea.
In general, tea drinkers seem to have fewer health conditions than non-tea drinkers. Green tea seems to have a slight edge over black tea when it comes to risk factors of some common diseases.
Recipe: Matcha Energy Balls Makes 12-18 balls
1 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
4 tbsp almond flour
1 tbsp matcha green tea
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
1 tbsp coconut oil
Instructions
Add all ingredients into food processor and pulse until blended.
Shape into 1-1.5″ balls.
Serve & enjoy!
Tip: If you use sweetened coconut, then you can eliminate the honey/maple syrup so they aren’t as sweet.
References:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/brewing-evidence-for-teas-heart-benefits
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/what-you-should-know-about-tea
http://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea
http://www.healthline.com/health/know-your-teas-black-tea#benefits3
http://www.healthline.com/nutrition/matcha-green-tea
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/caffeine-in-green-tea
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/tea-a-cup-of-good-health