9 Health Benefits of Black Tea

Over ninety percent of all tea sold in the West is black tea. All four varieties of tea (black, green, oolong, white) are made from leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant, but black tea generally has more flavour and caffeine than the others. Because black tea keeps its flavour for several years, it has long been an article of trade and bricks of black tea even served as a form of currency in parts of Asia into the 19th century.

Today, India, China, and Sri Lanka are the world's largest producers of black tea. In the production of black tea, the leaves are first spread out on racks and blown with air to remove about a third of their moisture and make them pliable. Then they are rolled around to break their cell walls and release the sugars necessary for fermentation. To promote fermentation they are kept in a highly humid environment, which turns the leaves dark and develops black tea's strong flavor. Finally, the leaves are dried and shipped off to all corners of the globe. The health benefits of black tea focus on the same areas as the green, oolong, and white variety. Since they all come from the same plant, it's only natural they would have similar benefits.