More than 5 billion cups of tea are drunk per day around the world. It’s the most popular hot drink in human society. Tea has been consumed in China from as long as 5000 years ago and there are more than 1500 different cultivars of tea.
There are five main types of tea from tea leaves: black, green, oolong, white and pu-erh. There are other categories of tea such as herbal tea, with the choice of hundreds of herbs to infuse into hot water for consumption. Here I write about the two most popular teas, black and green tea.
Black tea is the most popular tea drunk around the world. This tea is especially popular in countries like the UK which has adopted the drink into their cultural identity. Black tea is known for its stronger flavour and higher caffeine content than other teas.
Green tea, the 2nd most popular tea, is experiencing more growth than black tea and maintains a more health focused position. This is considered as generally the more healthy tea because of its powerful anti-oxidants.
In fact both teas are made from the same plant, black tea however is oxidised and green tea is not. This process causes their composition to be different. Both teas exhibit effective antioxidant capacities, however green tea contains more L-theanine, an amino acid that is connected to many benefits.
One major difference is how each tea is culturally consumed. In the UK, for example, black tea is often consumed with milk and sugar, these additions reduce some of the health benefits of the tea. Green tea is generally consumed without adding anything else, but is less enjoyable due to the lack of added milk and sugar. Some people choose to add honey to their green tea, to supercharge its health benefits whilst adding the benefit of sweetness. However you shouldn’t add the honey whilst the tea is hot, because the heat will destroy some of the benefits of the honey.
Both teas contain caffeine, which can boost mood, reaction time, memory, awareness and alertness. People who consume reasonable amounts of caffeine have been shown to be less likely to develop chronic illnesses, although this might be a self-selecting variable, that healthy people adopt a healthy lifestyle, rather than the caffeine being directly responsible.
The most touted component of green tea is often EGCG, a polyphenolic compound that is connected to a range of health benefits. Whilst black tea also contains it (11%), green tea has a much higher content of EGCG (50-80%). This compound is connected to the following possible benefits :
- Cancer inhibition
- Alzheimer’s amyloid plaque harm reduction
- Anti-fatigue
- Liver protection
- Anti-microbial
Both green and black tea provide benefits that could be said to be similar, especially for the heart and the brain. Whilst some studies have shown green tea to be the more healthy choice, other studies have disagreed with this theory and place them both at equal levels.
Generally it’s more important that you have your tea in a way that will keep you habitually drinking it, because forcing yourself to consume tea you don’t like is a habit that might not stick.
