Does Green Tea Have More Antioxidants Then Black Tea?

By Roger Flynn


The very same tea plant makes both black tea and green tea. Though the colors differ, both come from a plant named camellia sinensis. Teas are identified as one of the healthiest drinks and both black and green teas are beneficial to health. So how are they different and more significantly which tea contains more health rewards than the other tea?

Since tea is a drink, we are going to examine the two teas from a taste viewpoint. Which beverage is tastier is a personal preference; however green tea offers more of a bitter flavor compared to black tea. Black tea has a richer flavor than green tea. For this reason, most beginner drinkers prefer black tea above green tea. Still knowing that tea is a nourishing drink, flavor is probably not the main concern.

Even before tasting the drink, color separates the two teas. The colors are not the same as a result of the tea processing. Both teas undergo similar processing besides the oxidation process. Green tea's initial drying procedure is a quick procedure of steaming or panning which lowers oxidation. On the contrary, black tea goes through a complete oxidation procedure which uses up to three hours. This procedure is the main reason why flavor is richer and the color is darker. Exactly what does that really mean in terms of benefits?

Camellia sinensis is naturally green just like just about any other plant. When considering food, one that is more processed usually sheds more of its natural components. The exact same logic is also applicable to tea leaves. Maintaining the color green signifies it will have a lot more of the natural element, catechin.

Catechins are the active element contained in the tea leaves. They are responsible for health benefits such as bad cholesterol, cancer prevention, heart disease and weight loss. Research studies have shown that a full cup of green tea contains 8 times more catechins than black tea. Theoretically, you would need to consume 8 more glasses of black tea than green tea to gain the equivalent amount of positive effects.

A lot of lab examinations have been conducted on the health benefits associated with black tea. Many lab studies have been successful against diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and cancer. This highlights the therapeutic capability of camellia sinensis. Regardless of the form of process it goes though, the tea leaves remain beneficial to human body. Still it makes sense to intake the tea which contains more of the active element. So why not begin adding green tea to your diet.




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