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Antioxidants in Green and Black Tea
Tea is gaining ground over coffee. The health benefits of tea are one compelling reason: Green and black teas have 10 times the amount of antioxidants found in fruits and veggies, by one estimate.
Studies show that the antioxidants in black and green teas are highly beneficial to our health.
Green tea, black tea, they all come from the same tea plant, Camellia sinensis. The leaves are simply processed differently. Green tea leaves are not fermented, they are withered and steamed. Black tea undergo a crushing and fermenting process.
All teas from the camellia tea plant are rich in polyphenols, which are a type of antioxidant. These wonder nutrients scavenge for cell-damaging free radicals in the body and detoxify them. Whether it's green or black, tea has about eight to 10 times the polyphenols found in fruits and vegetables.
Black and green both have different types of antioxidants than fruits and vegetables. It was found that green and black tea had identical amounts of polyphenols. It was found that both types of tea blocked DNA damage associated with tobacco and other toxic chemicals. In animal studies, tea-drinking rats have less cancer.
Let us take the example of world's big tea drinkers, like Japan and China. They have much less heart disease and don't have certain cancers.
The detoxifying effect of the antioxidants protects cells from free radicals, the damage that can lead to blood clot formation, atherosclerosis, and cancer.
Some research shows that regular tea drinkers, people who drink two cups or more a day, have less heart disease and stroke, lower total and LDL (often called "bad") cholesterol, and that they recover from heart attacks faster.
Some tests also show that black and green tea may help boost metabolism to aid weight loss, block allergic response, slow the growth of tumors, protect bones, fight bad breath, improve skin, protect against Parkinson's disease, and even delay the onset of diabetes.
It was found that in a research regarding bladder cancer cells, green tea extract seemed to make the cancer cells behave oddly. They matured sooner, bound together tightly, and had a hard time multiplying.
Also, the antioxidants from drinking tea can help prevent skin cancer. There's also evidence that tea extracts applied to the skin (in a lotion) can block sun damage that leads to skin cancer.
Tea has no calories and lots of polyphenols. Infact, water doesn't give you these polyphenols.
It is recommended to drink six to 10 cups of black or green tea throughout the day, starting with breakfast.
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