Why Is Tea Actually So Healthy? The Essentials at a Glance

• In general, consuming non-alcoholic and sugar-free drinks is beneficial for our health—not only when it is warm outside.
• Tea stands out as a particularly health-promoting beverage, although it depends on the variety.
• There is nothing wrong with fruit tea or chamomile tea, but the best ingredients are found in black and green tea.
• Read here why green tea and black tea are so healthy.

We have known for some time that consuming plenty of fluids is valuable for the body. However, there is one limitation: not every liquid we consume is healthy—and this is not even referring to alcohol, but rather to drinks that contain large amounts of sugar, for example. So if tea is to unfold its health-promoting effects, you must drink it unsweetened. But which ingredients make which tea so healthy?

Is Green Tea Really Healthier Than Black Tea?

First of all, this concerns a legend that has stubbornly persisted since the 1990s. At that time, green tea or black tea—which until then had been rather frowned upon in our part of the world and was essentially consumed only in China—suddenly became fashionable, and tea producers wanted to distribute it among the public in large quantities. It was quickly claimed that this infused beverage was healthier than black tea.

However, you do not need to believe this claim. The antioxidant ingredients, the flavonoids, are found in both varieties. The different fermentation processes used during production have no effect on this. In both cases, the body absorbs and processes the flavonoids equally well. They help keep the blood vessels elastic.

Mate tea can also have a positive effect on health. You can read all about this in our article Mate Tea Beverage – the Essence of South America.

What Makes Tea So Healthy

What is true, however, is that the British way of enjoying black tea with milk reduces its positive effect on health. This was shown by a study conducted by Charité in Berlin. According to the study, milk demonstrably significantly inhibits the effect of flavonoids. Since green tea—such as Yogi Tea Green Morning—is generally not consumed with milk, its health benefits are indeed greater.

However, when consumed without milk, black tea is at least as effective as green tea. The latter contains so-called polyphenols, which significantly reduce the risk of cancer. Both types of tea contain EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which belongs to the group of flavonoids. In a study involving patients suffering from prostate cancer, EGCG demonstrated that it can verifiably inhibit tumor growth. In this case, black tea was even slightly more effective than green tea.

If you would like to learn more about popular tea brands, you can find everything you need in our article Sidroga Tea or Sirocco Tea – Two Popular Brands Compared.

Other Positive Effects Tea Has on Our Health

But that is far from all. Scientific studies have shown that both green and black tea can lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of high blood pressure by more than 40 percent if we drink two to four unsweetened cups of it every day. Green tea also enhances the effectiveness of antibiotics in cases of illness.

In addition, tea is good for hair and skin, reduces the formation of kidney stones (especially when milk is added), and is also suitable for preventing tooth decay and gum disease.