I see many people suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, and obesity, even my closest friends and family members. These diseases will reduce their quality of life, be painful, and be financially challenged. This was when I heard black tea can fight inflammation that contributes to most chronic diseases.
Black tea does not cause inflammation. Antioxidants in black tea such as polyphenols and flavonoids reduce inflammation by removing free radicals from the body. Reducing inflammation will prevent chronic diseases and will promote overall well-being.
Besides being anti-inflammatory and protecting us, black tea has other benefits such as promoting heart health, fighting cancer, improving bone strength, promoting healthy skin cell growth, and protecting the brain. On the other hand, black tea is easy to use, and it is a beverage almost everyone consumes.
What is inflammation?
Inflammation is part of a process our body uses to protect us. Therefore inflammation begins when a foreign material, irritant, pathogen, or organism enters our body that can cause infection. Also, inflammation involves white blood cells.
There are two types of inflammation which are chronic and acute inflammation.
Chronic inflammation causes cancers, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Chronic inflammation is the one that challenges our wellbeing, while acute inflammation goes away in hours or days.
There can also be autoimmune disease inflammations such as arthritis.
How can we reduce inflammation?
Researchers have found that following a healthy diet and behaviors will help us to prevent chronic inflammation. Suppose we can add food and beverages to our diet that reduce inflammation.
In that case, we can be protected from chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Black tea is one of those beverages that combat inflammation.
Is black tea anti-inflammatory?
A cup of black tea that we consume most of the time has anti-inflammatory properties. This is due to compounds in tea such as polyphenols and flavonoids in tea.
The main antioxidant compounds found in tea are polyphenolic compounds such as theaflavins, catechins, and thearubigins [1]W. Łuczaj, E. Skrzydlewska, Antioxidative properties of black tea, Preventive Medicine, Volume 40, Issue 6, 2005, Pages 910-918, ISSN 0091-7435, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2004.10.014..
Researchers show that polyphenolic compounds act as antioxidants to remove free radicals that damage our bodies. Thus, polyphenols reduce oxidative stress in our bodies [2]Aneja R, Odoms K, Denenberg AG, Wong HR. Theaflavin, a black tea extract, is a novel anti-inflammatory compound. Crit Care Med. 2004 Oct;32(10):2097-103. doi: 10.1097/01.ccm.0000142661.73633.15. PMID: 15483420..
Reducing oxidative stress in the body will reduce cell damage and progression into chronic diseases.
In simple terms, your cup of black tea will be fighting against chronic diseases by reducing inflammation in your body.
Also, black tea will be promoting the overall health of our body.
Drinking tea might boost our body’s ability to fight bacteria and virus infections. This will help you to fight against flu and colds, which are acute inflammatory diseases.
In another study, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) in black tea has block interleukin-1, a pro-inflammatory cell. This action can inhibit the progression of arthritis and reduce the damage to the cartilage.
In my opinion, black tea is one of the best, convenient and easy methods to add antioxidants to our daily diet. This way, you can reduce the risk of getting many deadly chronic diseases and acute inflammatory diseases.
Why should we drink black tea to get antioxidants?
You might be thinking why we should be worried about taking antioxidants from black tea to reduce inflammation. The best source to get antioxidants is from natural food and beverages such as black tea. Also, there might be a risk of consuming antioxidants through supplements [3]Bjelakovic G, Nikolova D, Gluud C. Antioxidant supplements and mortality. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2014 Jan;17(1):40-4. doi: 10.1097/MCO.0000000000000009. PMID: 24241129..
How much black tea should we drink to get its benefits?
In my opinion, drinking 1 – 2 cups of black tea will be enough to get all of its benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties.
You can even drink 2 cups of black tea every day without any harm. As for most things, too much is not suitable even for black tea. This means drinking more than 4 – 5 cups of black tea per day is not much of a good idea.
This is because the caffeine in black tea can cause side effects if too much black tea is consumed.
There can be irregular heartbeats, headaches, faster breathing and anxiety, and difficulty in breathing. So, drink your black tea in moderation, such as 1 – 2 cups of black tea per day.
Which black tea is best for inflammation?
Many types of black tea differ due to their taste, processing method, and composition. Following are a list of black teas in the world;
- Darjeeling tea
- Lapsang souchong
- Keemun tea (China)
- Assam tea (India)
- Yunnan tea (china)
- Ceylon tea (Sri Lanka)
- Earl Grey tea
- Nilgiri tea (south India)
- Bai Lin Gong Fu tea
- Lapsang Souchong tea
All the teas from the above list have anti-inflammatory properties. You can choose any tea depending on the taste you like as different black teas have different flavors.
Darjeeling tea is known as the champagne of tea as well as the world’s best tea. This is due to its light, fruity, and floral taste. You will like this tea due to its great taste, and you do not need milk to mix with tea. You will be tasting a tremendous black tea while getting its anti-inflammatory benefits.
Lapsang souchong is a great tea that has many benefits. This tea has a high level of antioxidants that can help to reduce inflammation. It is also found to benefit cardiovascular health by increasing blood flow and reducing unhealthy cholesterol level.
I like tea that has a bold, strong, and rich flavor. Ceylon black tea from Sri Lanka is an excellent fit for my taste. You can taste the strong and bold flavors of black tea, which indicates that this tea is fully oxidized and loaded with antioxidants such as theaflavins and thearubigins.
Assam tea has a strong and rich flavor with a malty twist. This tea is used in tea blends as a strong base to the mixture. This black tea is also loaded with antioxidants. Researchers have found that antioxidant activity in Assam tea is higher than in Darjeeling tea [4]Khanum H, Faiza S, Sulochanamma G, Borse BB. Quality, antioxidant activity and composition of Indian black teas. J Food Sci Technol. 2017 Apr;54(5):1266-1272. doi: 10.1007/s13197-017-2506-y. Epub 2017 Mar 10. PMID: 28416877; PMCID: PMC5380613.. This tea also contains minerals such as magnesium, iron, calcium, and copper. You can get most of the benefits of black tea by drinking Assam tea.
Earl tea also tastes like heaven because it is flavored with natural and artificial citrus flavors. This tea is most famous among flavored tea drinkers in the west. You will taste it with a nice flavor while getting antioxidants that fight inflammation.
Another tea that I love is Yunnan black tea. I also like a chocolate twist to my tea. Yunnan black has this chocolaty flavor with a malty and dark taste. If you also want a chocolate flavor in your tea, then you will love Yunnan tea.
Conclusion
Chronic diseases are a significant problem for everyone: every day, someone we love or ourselves can be a victim of these chronic diseases.
Chronic inflammation in our body is why many chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and obesity occur. Suppose we can eat or drink food and beverages that can fight inflammation, such as black tea.
In that case, black tea will reduce inflammation, and we will be protected from these diseases. Drinking black tea will be one of the easiest ways to reduce inflammation!
References
