Green Tea vs Black tea: Which one is healthier? September 11, 2022 01:46
Tea is one of the most consumed beverages in many parts of the world. Most of the people who consume this beverage simply love it, and for the lack of a better term, are addicted to it. There are many reasons for people to fall in love with this beverage as just a cup of it can help you relax and provide positive energy for the day.
Among the many varieties, the two of the most popular teas are green tea and black tea. Green tea vs black tea have considerable differences in taste, color, flavour, and aroma. However, there is one similarity between them, and that is – their origin. Both of the teas have the same origin plant known as Camellia sinensis.
For a tea lover, it can be a confusing task to select the tea that best suits their health needs and lifestyle. In this article, we have discussed the differences between black tea and green tea alongside their benefits that will help you to determine the best option for you.
What is Green Tea?
Green tea is prepared using the leaves of the tea plant – Camellia Sinensis. Green tea is consumed in all parts of the world due to its potential health benefit. Green teas are found in different varieties which include matcha, gun powder, dragon well, pearls, and other forms.
How is Green Tea Produced?
The first step in producing green tea is to collect the leaves and wilt them. The leaves are then heated either by pan-firing, steaming, or other methods to prevent them from being oxidized. The process is also very helpful in providing color flavor and determining the shape of tea. It is ultimately dried after heating to complete the process of making green tea.
What is Black Tea?
The same plant, Camelia Sinensis, that is used for preparing green tea is also used for preparing black tea. Black teas which originated in China are also widely cultivated in other countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, China, India, etc. Ilam Black Tea is one of the finest.
How is Black Tea Produced?
Black teas are different from green tea mainly due to the differences in the process of production. Unlike green tea, black tea completely goes through the oxidizing process. After plucking the leaves, they get withered and then cracked or hurt, so that it is easy for the enzymes present inside the leaves to ooze out and get oxidized. The process provides the leaves with dark brown color and also adds essence and aroma to them.
Green Tea vs Black tea: Differences between the Teas
The manufacturers prioritize the process of oxidation when preparing black tea whereas they completely avoid the oxidation process when preparing green tea. Besides the differences in the production process, green tea and black tea also have some differences in their caffeine content, color, flavor profiles, and polyphenols.
Caffeine content
When you take one cup of green tea, you will have 20 mg to 50 mg of caffeine in it except for matcha green tea which contains 40 mg to 60 mg of caffeine in a cup. Besides, green tea also contains the chemical called L – theanine which helps for metabolizing caffeine in your body for a longer period.
Black tea is popular as the tea which contains the highest amount of caffeine in it as it contains 64 mg to 112 mg of caffeine in a cup. If you are looking for increased mental alertness throughout the day, then black tea is the best option available for you. However, not all types of black tea contain the same amount of caffeine as it depends on the various conditions such as climate and soil content of the tea plant.
Color
Green teas are lighter and they have a pale golden color or mossy green color. On the other hand, black teas have dark brown to black color. Black teas get their color from the oxidation process they go through during the production period.
Flavor profiles
People who consume both black tea and green tea will know that there is a big difference in their tastes. One of the reasons is the differences in the flavor profiles of both teas. Black tea can have a vast array of flavors ranging from stone fruit, honey, malts, and spices to sweet, meanwhile, the flavor in green tea is mainly vegetal and astringent.
Polyphenols
Theaflavins are mostly found polyphenols in black tea which are produced during the process of oxidation. These polyphenols are vital for our fat cells as they are very supportive of natural antioxidant production in the human body. On the other hand, green tea is an excellent source of other polyphenols like Gallic acid and catechin. It also contains the antioxidant EGCG which is one of the contributing factors to most of the health benefits offered by green tea.
Which is healthier? Green tea or Black tea
Both green tea and black tea have many health benefits. But it can be difficult for many of us to know which tea benefits us the most. Let’s go through some of the healthy offers that green tea and black tea have to make so that you can select the best for you.
Health benefits of green tea
People have been thanking green tea for centuries for its health benefits. Various research has shown that green tea has been traditionally used as medicine in Japan and China for hundreds of years. The rich nutrients and antioxidant content in green tea have made it one of the healthiest beverages in the world.
Improved Brain Function
The key ingredient content in green tea is caffeine, the stimulant that keeps your brain on high alert. Even though the amount of caffeine content is low as compared to other teas, it is enough for boosting your brain function. Another ingredient that helps in the active functioning of the brain is L-theanine which is responsible for increasing dopamine and works as natural anti-anxiety medicine.
Healthy Skin
As we tend to grow old, the elasticity in the skin is lost slowly resulting in the growth of wrinkles. Green tea can help you to deal with this issue as polyphenols content in it can improve skin elasticity. Also, green tea has anti-inflammatory properties which work as an easy remedy for different types of dermatological issues.
Fit Body- help with weight loss
Green tea is a great option for boosting energy metabolism in the body which helps in burning fats. The compound responsible for it is known as EGCG.
If you research any fat-burning supplement, there is a high probability that you will see “green tea” on the list of ingredients. This shows the importance of green tea for people who have set goals for losing weight in a specific period.
Healthy Breath
Streptococcus mutans are common bacteria that live in our mouth and there is a high risk of infections and tooth decay when there is unnecessary growth of bacteria in our mouth. The catechins in green tea help in preventing the growth of such bacteria and help in achieving healthy breath.
Health benefits of Black Tea
Yes, it is true that black tea goes through the oxidization process, and as the result, it loses some amount of compounds such as polyphenols and catechins. However, it does not mean that black tea does not provide health benefits. It still contains many antioxidants that are very helpful for improving your health. Many of the benefits are very similar to green tea despite differences in the production process.
Fit Body- help with weight loss
This benefit is similar to green tea as the research has shown that black tea also helps in reducing body weight. Black tea helps in reducing visceral fat as it prevents inflammation-related weight gain.
Kidney Health
One of the reasons that lead to bad kidney health is kidney stones which are caused due to forming of unwanted substances like oxalate and uric acid in the kidney. The different types of herbal teas might contain certain levels of oxalate in them which creates a negative impact on your kidney health. Black tea contains very few levels of such types of oxalate which is good for your kidney health.
Mood Improvement
The antioxidants that are active in black tea are very helpful in reducing the stress levels in your brain which helps your brain to relax and influence a positive mood. Likewise, black tea also controls your blood pressure which also helps in improving your mood.
Healthy Hair
Today hair fall is a common problem for many people. High levels of stress and free radicals are believed to be common reasons for excessive hair loss in women. The antioxidants present in black tea help in reducing stress and fight against free radicals which helps in controlling hair loss.
Which one should you drink?
Many of the health benefits offered by green tea and black tea are very similar. Both of them help you maintain good health and refresh your brain for better performance and concentration. So, deciding the best tea depends on your mood and requirement. For example, if you are looking for a much higher attentive or active mind then you can go for black tea as it contains more amount of caffeine as compared to green tea. Likewise, if you are looking for boosting your brain but you are sensitive to caffeine then green tea is the better option for you.
So, there is no need to worry if you are finding it difficult for deciding whether to go for black tea or green tea. Just enjoy this wonderful beverage based on your need and taste preference.
Conclusion
Danfe Tea brings to you different varieties of rare and high-quality teas including different types of green tea and black tea with a conviction that the consumers will fall in love with the unique flavor that our tea has to offer coming from the Himalayan Tea Mountains of Nepal.
Nepal is one of the major cultivators of tea, producing different varieties of the highest quality teas. But sadly, the country is still unrecognized for its contribution to the tea world mainly due to trade channels going through its neighboring India, where it gets labeled as Darjeeling Tea from India. Danfe tea has been established with an aim of introducing Nepalese tea to international connoisseurs, so that the world is aware that Nepal is one of the best producers of premium quality teas, giving it the recognition it deserves, whipping up a stronger tea economy for the people such as farmers, factory workers, and traders involved in producing these incredible teas.