Drinking tea - is it good for you?

Tea - the drink of the nation. But is it doing us any good?

If there’s one drink everyone seems to have an opinion on, it’s tea!

Whether you like it with the tea bag left in for ages or barely touching the sides of the cup, it’s amazing how touchy people are about how it should be made. One of my most popular social media posts was when I asked for tea recommendations - everyone had a view!

We are the second in nation of tea drinkers after Ireland and there’s over 165 million cups of tea drunk a day.

And I think many people don’t think tea counts when it comes to healthy drinking. You’ll hear a lot of people being negative about coffee because of the caffeine. Yet tea does have caffeine too but doesn’t get the same bad reputation.

Maybe it’s because the caffeine from a cup of coffee is digested differently. The kick from coffee can often be felt within 5 minutes of drinking whereas with tea it’s more of a slow burn effect and takes about 25 minutes. Also the alertness that comes from a cuppa often doesn’t come with the jitters that coffee can cause. 

In recent years there has been a bit of a tea revolution and now there’s so much more choice apart from whether to have milk or sugar. So let’s have a look at the differences between regular black tea and the tea hailed as being much healthier, green tea.

Green tea vs. black tea - What's the difference?

What do green and black teas have in common?

First of all, they both come from the camellia sinensis shrub that’s native to China and India. Green tea contains slightly more health-promoting flavonoids than black tea. How is this?

The difference lies in how they’re processed.

If the leaves are steamed or heated, this keeps them green. The heat stops oxidation from turning them black. Then they’re dried to preserve the colour and flavonoids, which are the antioxidants.

Hence you have green tea.

If the leaves are not heated, and are crushed and rolled, then they continue to oxidise until they’re dry. This oxidation uses up some of the flavonoids’ antioxidant power, so black teas have slightly less ability to combat free radicals than green tea does.

Green tea vs. black tea - Health Benefits

Tea drinking, in general, seems to be associated with good health.

Heart health - For one thing, both green and black tea drinkers seem to have high levels of antioxidants in their blood compared with non-tea drinkers. 

Green and black tea drinkers also have lower risks of heart attacks and strokes. 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, drinkers of green and black tea seem to 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 also 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). Also, green tea drinkers have a lower risk of breast and colorectal cancers. Black tea is being researched for its potential to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.

Overall, antioxidant flavonoids in tea seem to help reduce the risk of different cancers. Green tea may have a slight edge over black tea, but both seem to be associated with lower cancer risk.

Diabetes - Both green and black teas can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They also reduce diabetes risk factors, like elevated blood sugar levels and insulin resistance. 

For example, some studies have shown that both green and black teas can help reduce blood sugar levels. Other studies have shown that green tea can also improve insulin sensitivity.

Once again, green tea seems to have a slight edge over black tea, but both are blood sugar friendly (just don't add sugar or sweetener!).

Want to try a tea alternative?

I’ll admit to finding green tea an acquired taste and I’m far happier with Matcha green tea, which is like a concentrated green tea. 

It’s really high in antioxidants and if you fancy trying it have a go at my recipe here which I think tastes a bit better and doesn’t spike my blood sugar levels like coffee can.

If green tea doesn’t appeal then why not try herbal teas - there’s nothing nicer than a handful of homegrown peppermint from the windowsill left to steep in a pot of boiling water.  Or you could try fruit teas, although just be careful as they can be a little harsh on the stomach.

And just a word on decaf tea. It does still have caffeine but it's much lower and some of my clients find a benefit in switching to decaf tea after lunchtime. When you consider it takes 8 hours for caffeine to be processed by the body, going over to decaf in the middle of the afternoon could help your sleep in the evening. 

Whatever your tea tipple, why not join the debate on my Midlife Facebook Group and let me know what works for you?

Content Disclaimer

The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this blog are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this blog. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this blog. Midlife Menu Ltd disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this blog.

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