In Germany, coffee is still the most popular morning pick-me-up. Why should you give black tea a chance? Here are 6 things that happen when you drink black tea every day.
Black tea is the most popular type of tea in western countries and is often used as a more digestible pick-me-up alternative to coffee. Interestingly, the leaves of white, green, and black tea all come from the same plant. There are only differences in the processing. For example, the tea leaves are fermented to make black tea. Similar to green tea , the black version is peppered with numerous health-promoting ingredients. So put on the kettle and learn how incredibly healthy black tea is, but also what one key downside it has.
Table of Contents
These 6 things happen when you drink black tea every day
1. Your stomach settles down
Black tea contains phytochemicals that are good for the mucous membranes of your digestive tract. The polyphenols called theaflavin and thearubigin not only give the tea its vibrant color, but also make it an antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antiviral drink that, according to the Pharmazeutische Zeitung , can soothe your gastrointestinal tract and help fight inflammation of the mucous membranes .
2. Your cholesterol level goes down
If you have a family history of high LDL cholesterol or because of your previous lifestyle, you should sit up and take notice now. According to studies , regular consumption of black tea leads to a significant reduction in the “bad” LDL cholesterol in the human body. The best part? The positive effects that occurred in the studies were particularly pronounced in people with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Black tea is therefore even more effective in people with an already high cholesterol level – an encouraging signal for those affected.
3. You become more alert but not shaky
While a cup of coffee with over 100 milligrams of caffeine wakes you up quickly, even the smallest overdose leads to shaky hands and concentration problems – especially for people who are not used to the hot bean drink. With black tea, this cannot happen so quickly, as it only contains 40 to 70 milligrams of caffeine per cup . The tea invigorates you in a gentle way and increases your concentration without leading to tremors.
Incidentally, this Earl Gray from Vahdam and this Ceylon black tea from Ahmad are particularly popular .
4. Your blood pressure drops
While the caffeine in black tea raises your blood pressure in the short term, regular consumption and exposure to it will result in a long-term reduction in blood pressure . This was recently revealed by a meta-analysis that examined the effects of tea on blood pressure based on five high-quality studies with a total of 408 subjects. Although the reduction in blood pressure was more pronounced with green tea , black tea consumption for several months also led to a widening of the vessels and a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure.
Tip: Contrary to British tradition, you should always drink your black tea without milk . A study by the Berlin Charité has shown that the vasodilating effects of black tea are negated by the addition of milk.
5. Your breath will be fresher
The theaflavin contained in black tea is also responsible for this effect . According to studies , this has a strong antibacterial effect and thus inhibits the growth of plaque bacteria that cause bad breath. Since bacteria tend to accumulate when the mouth is very dry, a cup of black tea will help freshen your breath in two ways.
6. Your iron absorption deteriorates
Unfortunately, black tea also has a major disadvantage: it reduces iron absorption in the small intestine. This is due to the tannins it contains . The tannins belong to the secondary plant substances and also have positive properties, for example they have a strong antioxidant effect . However, according to studies, drinking the tea with a meal reduces iron absorption by about 50 percent – bad news for anyone suffering from iron deficiency anemia .
However, if you are completely healthy and have normal iron levels, you need not worry. Because in this study published in the scientific journal Nature , researchers found that tea consumption in healthy people does not have a negative effect on the iron status. To do this, they examined the blood of 2,600 test subjects and asked them about their eating habits. There were no tendencies towards iron deficiency or the resulting anemia among the tea drinkers. If you’re still concerned, there’s a simple trick you can use to improve your iron intake : add a little lemon or orange juice to your tea once it’s reached drinking temperature, as vitamin Cgreatly improves iron absorption. Alternatively, you can also make sure not to drink the black tea with your meals, but rather an hour before or after it, so as not to disturb the iron absorption.
