In terms of its rich antioxidant properties, black tea comes next to green tea. The most commonly used and the most popular tea in the West, black tea is originally green tea with the leaves further dried - this changes its color and taste. Black Tea undergoes full oxidation and fermentation. The leaves thus turn black and receive their strong, typical flavor. The oxidation process is stopped once the aroma and flavor develops completely. The leaves are further crushed to various sizes, sorted out and stored according to their sizes.

Black tea is the foundation upon which the popular varieties of English tea are derived from. And many might be delighted to find out that black tea, aside from being an enjoyable drink, can actually be good for the health.

Recent studies in leading medical journals declare black tea a potential heart tonic, cancer blocker, fat buster, immune stimulant, arthritis soother, virus fighter and cholesterol detoxifier. Not bad for a lowly shrub soaked in a little hot water.

"Tea is beating all scientific expectations as the most potent health beverage ever," says researcher John Weisburger at the American Health Foundation. "The many ways tea can promote health is truly astonishing."

Here’s how black tea can potentially benefit your health: Black Tea Saves arteries. Drinking black tea helps prevent deadly clogging of arteries and reverses poor arterial functioning that can trigger heart attacks and strokes. In arecent test, Joseph Vita, M.D., of the Boston University School of Medicine, had heart patients drink either plain water or four cups of black tea daily. In a month, impaired blood vessel functioning (a risk factor for heart attack and strokes) improved about 50% in the black tea drinkers.Black Tea Inhibits cancer growth. Tea has long been tied to a lower risk of stomach, colon and breast cancer, although the connection is not proven. Now lab studies find that black tea chemicals actually may stop cancer growth. Rutgers University researchers showed that a compound in black tea called TF-2 caused colorectal cancer cells to "commit suicide"; normal cells were unaffected.Black Tea Tames inflammation. TF-2, the newly discovered anti-cancer compound in black tea, suppresses the Cox-2 gene that triggers inflammation, says research at Rutgers.

Black Tea Wipes out viruses. Previous tests prove black tea can neutralize germs, including some that cause diarrhea, pneumonia, cystitis and skin infections. New research by Milton Schiffenbauer of Pace University finds that black and green tea deactivates viruses, including herpes. When you drink tea, he says, chances are good you will wipe out viruses in your mouth.


Drink both black and green tea, the regular kind sold in bags or leaves in grocery stores. Their antioxidants are equal.

From www.teabenefits.com