Post Image
  How often do you drink tea? Before you answer that, take a moment to think then, answer my next question first. Have you really been drinking tea or have you been drinking chocolate flavoured malted powder products? I’m asking this question because most Nigerians don’t know the difference. They call chocolate flavoured beverages like Milo and Bournvita, tea.
Read more about Did you know?
When these chocolate products are prepared with milk and sugar, it is still tea to them. Now, I remember what I said about not starting the year with violence but we need to do things differently this year. We’ll start by tagging Milo and Bournvita appropriately. So, what is tea? Tea is an aromatic beverage that is prepared by pouring hot water over cured or fresh leaves of the camellia Sinensis. The three major types of tea are green tea, black tea and white tea. Black tea is our topic of discussion today. This tea can be taken black but it can also be sweetened with milk and sugar. Black tea contains more caffeine than its counterparts, green tea and white tea. However, coffee contains far more caffeine content than black tea. The most popular examples of black tea in Nigeria are Lipton and Top Tea. Black tea offers a variety of health benefits to consumers. Some of them are:
  1. It May Promote Heart Health: 
Do you value your heart? Are you willing to make little effort to keep it healthy? If you are, then, drink black tea regularly. Research indicates that it contains heart-friendly antioxidants called flavonoids. Thus, consuming it on a regular basis may reduce the risk factors for heart diseases like obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol. 2. It May Enhance Gut Health: Most of us don’t spare a thought for our guts until we have constipation. Then, we start running kiti kiti.
Sign up to the Connect Nigeria daily newsletter
looking for what to eat so that our bowels will move smoothly again. Today, I’m here to tell you that this lifestyle of waiting for bowel malfunction to eat gut-friendly foods is unhealthy. Take better care of your guts. One way to do this is to drink black tea. It’ll stimulate the growth of good bacteria and also prevent the growth of bad bacteria. What’s more, black tea contains antimicrobial properties that repair the digestive tract. 3. It Reduces Blood Sugar Level: If you’ve ever tasted black tea that was brewed with just hot water, you’ll know that it has a bitter taste. That’s because it has no sugar. Now, some people cannot tolerate the bitter taste and so add milk and(or) sugar to it for improving its flavour. But when black tea is taken without added sugar, it may improve the use of insulin in the body and reduce blood sugar levels. 4. It is Good for the Skin: Nne, are you aware that effective skincare is not just about buying and religiously applying chemical-based products on the skin? Do you know that what you eat plays a fundamental role in your skin’s health? You did not know, abi? Oya, sit down make I give you better gist. Do you see foods that are rich in antioxidants? Do you see foods that stimulate collagen production? Na these kind foods you suppose dey eat. Black tea is one such food. It contains antioxidants and polyphenols that may reduce wrinkles and prevent skin from premature ageing. 5. It may Promote Oral Health: Research indicates that black tea reduces plaque formation and restricts bacterial growth. The consequence of this bacterial growth restriction is a reduction in cavity and tooth decay. However, the polyphenols present in black tea also suppresses cavity-causing bacteria that hinder the growth of bacterial enzymes that form the sticky-like material that binds plaque to our teeth. 6. It Improves Focus and Concentration: Black tea contains caffeine and a type of amino acid called L-theanine. Both of these ingredients have been associated with improved focus and alertness. In fact, beverages containing a combination of L-theanine and caffeine have been linked to enhanced alpha activity in the brain; this has a great impact on focus and alertness. In conclusion, black tea is a unique flavoured, low-calorie beverage with numerous health benefits but it should be consumed in moderation. Sources: Times of India Wikipedia Attune Skin Care Featured Image Source: Organic Facts
Got a suggestion? Contact us: editor@connectnigeria.com
You might also like:
This article was first published on 25th January 2022

udevi-obiamaka-angela

Udevi, Obiamaka Angela holds a Master of Arts degree in History & International Studies. She's a freelance writer with a passion for food and healthy living. She can be contacted through her email address, obiudevi@yahoo.com

Comments (130)

130 thoughts on “Did You Know? 6 Health Benefits Of Drinking Black Tea”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *