Black tea is one of the most popular hot drinks across the world. Many cultures have rituals surrounding tea consumption, such as the English afternoon tea or the sage-blended black tea the nomads present to visitors in the Sinai deserts. So if you’re thinking about starting a black tea habit, you might be asking: is black tea good for you in the first place? In this article, we’ll explore the health benefits of consuming black tea and consider any precautions that may apply in certain cases.
Black tea comes from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, just like white, yellow, and green tea. The difference, however, is that black tea is more oxidized, and it tends to have a stronger taste and aroma. The oxidation process is the reason for one of black tea’s greatest benefits: its antioxidant content. Black tea also contains more caffeine than other teas, but less than that of coffee. Its caffeine content is the reason for one of the precautions we will explain later on in this article.
Let's explore several benefits of consuming black tea:
Probably the first and most important answer to the question is black tea good for you is that it is thanks to its antioxidant content. Antioxidants are molecules that neutralize free radicals. And although free radicals are produced naturally by the body, too many of them can cause oxidative stress and damage. Oxidative stress and damage can then trigger a host of chronic conditions, from cancer to neurodegeneration to faster aging to adrenal fatigue.
Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS) is a condition that arises in response to chronic stress, such as chronic oxidative stress. Symptoms of AFS include fatigue, weight gain, insomnia, anxiety, mild depression, brain fog, PMS, infertility, loss of libido, hair loss, dry skin, hypoglycemia, salt and sugar cravings, electrolyte imbalance, estrogen dominance, heart palpitations, unstable blood pressure, and lowered immunity.
That’s why eating an antioxidant-rich diet and drinking beverages that contain them can help. But, as we’ll get into more detail later, you’ll need to be careful with your caffeine intake if you have AFS.
Although both green and black tea contain antioxidants, the two teas contain different types, thanks to the oxidation process that black tea goes through. Green tea contains catechins, which are phenolic compounds that have powerful antioxidant effects. But these catechins then turn into flavonols, thearubigins, and theaflavins during the oxidation process. In that sense, the two teas might have different antioxidant actions.
By some estimates, almost a third of the weight of dry green or black tea contains these phenolic compounds, so whichever you choose, you’re sure to get a lot of benefits.
High blood pressure is one of the biggest health problems facing the world today. First of all, it’s mostly symptomless, so many people only find out after it has already done some damage.
Also, in many cases, the first reaction of a physician is to give medication, when there are many other steps you can take before this last resort. These include changing your diet, exercising, taking certain supplements, using certain natural remedies, and also drinking beverages that can lower your blood pressure naturally.
Some preliminary findings suggest that black tea may help with both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. It also seems to counteract the blood pressure raising effects of a high-fat meal to a certain degree.
But, once again, we run into another precaution related to AFS. AFS can lead to unstable blood pressure, and in some cases, too-low blood pressure. So if you’re one of those cases, you might want to avoid drinking black tea. At least until you’ve recovered from AFS.
Insulin is the hormone secreted by your pancreas to transport glucose from the bloodstream and into the cells, where it is then converted into energy. Your pancreas is part of the Hormone Circuit of your NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response, along with your adrenals and thyroid gland.
Your NEM is your body’s global response to stress, and it’s composed of six circuits of organs and systems that work together. The other five circuits are the Bioenergetics, the Cardionomic, the Neuroaffect, the Inflammation, and the Detoxification Circuits. And although black tea can affect all six circuits, its effects on insulin and the Hormone Circuit are interesting to note.
That’s because unstable blood sugar levels (especially the spikes and crashes that many people eating the sugar-filled standard American diet experience) are very stressful on the body. It’s also because type 2 diabetes is becoming a very worrying global crisis, with the number of people affected globally soaring each year.
Chronically high blood sugar levels can also lead to other health problems, such as obesity, heart disease, kidney problems, and even mental health issues.
So the insulin-enhancing effects of black tea would be its second-biggest benefit when asking if black tea good for you. And it’s thanks to its epigallocatechin gallate content, an antioxidant as well.
But there are two catches here we need to warn you about. First of all, with AFS, there is a tendency towards hypoglycemia or low blood sugar. So, if you experience this, it may be better to avoid the drink altogether. The second catch is that this specific benefit is only if you drink the tea unsweetened.
Black tea can help relieve stress several ways. First of all, it can aid in reducing cortisol levels. Cortisol is your body’s main anti-stress hormone, and it’s secreted by your adrenal glands. It is what dysregulates when you have AFS, at first increasing above normal ranges, then dropping completely when your adrenals are exhausted. So, in that sense, black tea may be useful in the beginning stages of AFS but should be avoided in the more advanced stages.
Secondly, the L-theanine amino acid in black tea can help with concentration and relaxation. These are two things that you wouldn’t think go together, but they do. If you think about it, it’s quite difficult to concentrate when stressed.
Lastly, the ritual you create when drinking black tea can become relaxing in and of itself. Whether you cozy up alone in a corner of the house with a hot cup, or whether you drink it socially with people you love, these habits can be calming and stress-relieving.
If for some reason you shouldn’t or don’t want to drink black tea, you can also get its benefits through supplements. Some supplements contain holy basil and black tea premium herbs that have been infused with a bio-synergistic micro-organism foundational base. They can support your health by:
Whether it’s the bacteria found in your gut or your mouth, black tea can help increase the good bacteria and reduce the bad bacteria. This can have such benefits as improving your oral health and reducing the occurrence of plaques and cavities, as well as improve your digestion and immune system through strengthening your gut’s microbiome.
You see, two-thirds of your immune system cells are found in your gut. So a healthy gut goes a long way towards fighting all kinds of diseases. It also ensures you get the most out of your nutrition. And, on top of that, the health of the gut has been linked to mental health. Thanks to the gut-brain axis.
There are two other possible benefits of drinking black tea for the heart. First, it may in preventing atherosclerosis and, second, may help reduce LDL cholesterol. Atherosclerosis is what happens when plaque builds up in the walls of your arteries, and can sometimes even block them completely. This can lead to heart disease and stroke, as well as kidney disease.
There are two types of cholesterol transporters in the body, HDL and LDL. LDL is considered to be the "bad" cholesterol. What it does is put cholesterol in the cells, whereas HDL takes it to the liver for elimination. LDL is what allows the accumulation of plaques in the arteries.
Black tea may help reduce your LDL cholesterol levels, therefore helping in preventing or reducing plaque accumulation.
One thing to be aware of, however, is that the amount of black tea you consume is related to these effects. This then also means that if you consume more to increase these effects, you also end up consuming more caffeine.
Many people use caffeine and other stimulants to function throughout the day. This is not natural or healthy. The fact that the pace of modern life is so fast and carries so much stress is a big problem for health and wellbeing. And, as you consume more caffeine to get by, it then negatively impacts your health. When you’re not at your best health-wise, your ability to function in daily life takes a dip. Then, if you’re not careful, you start to consume even more caffeine to get through your day.
The overconsumption of caffeine or any stimulants puts pressure on the adrenal glands. And, when you have AFS, your adrenals are overworking anyway. Plus, your Detoxification Circuit may be slowed, and so your body can’t metabolize the caffeine as well as it should. These issues can aggravate one of the more challenging symptoms of adrenal fatigue. The feeling of constantly being “wired and tired”.
With our AFS patients, we recommend gradually weaning off of caffeinated beverages. This is to give your adrenals a break from being stimulated, but at the same time not cause the withdrawal pressure that can also worsen AFS.
You can still occasionally consume caffeine if you’re in the earlier stages of adrenal fatigue. Or if your recovery is almost complete. Otherwise, we recommend you get the benefits of black tea in other ways. Allow yourself to rest and sleep without needing to use stimulants to perform.
Research suggests that black tea can help increase bone density, which is very important as you grow older. Especially for women going through menopause. It may even reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis.
When answering the question is black tea good for you, we are talking about unsweetened black tea. If you add sugar or even sugar substitutes, the drawbacks can be more than the benefits. Adding milk may be okay unless you have a lactose sensitivity. You can, however, try different black tea infusions, such as black tea with peppermint or black tea with lemon.
If you have AFS, all kinds of dietary, lifestyle, and supplement changes should be supervised by a health professional experienced in adrenal fatigue. This is important because these things need to be personalized to your specific condition and needs. And then they need to be adapted as you get further into recovery.
Drinking black tea for a relatively healthy person can have all the benefits we mentioned in this article. But for those with special conditions, it may not be the best option. This is especially the case with advanced AFS or NEM dysregulation.
If you need more information about black tea consumption and your health, the team at Dr. Lam Coaching can help. We offer a free** no-obligation phone consultation at +1 (626) 571-1234 where we will privately discuss your symptoms and various options. You can also send us a question through our Ask The Doctor system by clicking here.
Black tea provides many health benefits, from containing powerful antioxidants to helping balance the microbiome. 'Is black tea good for you?' The answer is it depends on whether or not your body can handle it. In the case of advanced adrenal fatigue, you may be better off without it.