Tea of the Month: Black Tea
Black tea is the most oxidized variety of teas. So its flavor is stronger than that of other teas, namely, green, oolong, and white teas. But the flavor and the strength of black tea depend on its variety. Black tea is usually made with the large-leaved Assamese tea. The other varieties are made from the small-leaved Chinese variety.
Black tea is often drunk with milk, as it is most similar to coffee (as far as taste and color go). When I mention milk in this article, I am referring to your favorite plant-based beverage. Such as almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, rice milk, or any other you prefer. So instead of writing all these options every time, and instead of writing “plant-based beverage,” I just write milk.
Types of Black tea
The type of teas depends on the place where they are grown, and they are often named after the places.
- Darjeeling black tea
This is called the ‘champagne of teas’. It is considered to be the world’s best tea. This is produced in Darjeeling, in northern India. It has a delicate fruity, floral flavor, which is preferred worldwide. It is light and best without milk and sugar if you want to enjoy its wonderful world-renowned flavor.
- Keemun black tea
This variety of black tea comes from the Anhui province of eastern China. It is known for its distinctive aroma and flavor. It is smooth and wine-like in flavor. It can be fruity, floral, and sometimes has a tobacco-like favor. Its flavor is somewhat bold, so it can be taken with milk and sugar.
- Assam Black tea
These are large-leaved tea grown in the state of Assam in northern India. It has a bold and malty taste. It is the much-preferred breakfast tea in Ireland and England. Some varieties of this tea are termed as of lower grade and are used in tea bags. But there is also high-quality Assam black tea.
- Yunnan black tea
Yunnan black tea is produced in the Yunnan province of China. It is otherwise known as Pu-erh tea. These are partially fermented varieties. The tea has a chocolaty or malty flavor. It is darker than many varieties.
- Ceylon black tea
This tea exists in many flavors. It is very strong and tends to have a chocolaty or spicy flavor. So it can be taken with milk, lemon, sugar, or some other sweetener. This forms the common base for Earl Grey tea.
There are also a few more minor varieties of black tea like Earl Grey black tea, Nilgiri black tea, etc.
Benefits for Hair
Black tea rinse is considered to be very effective in stopping hair fall and encouraging hair growth. The caffeine contained in black tea is responsible for this. It penetrates the hair follicle and encourages hair growth. You can pour black tea on your hair after shampooing. Keep it for some time under a plastic cap, and then rinse it off before applying deep conditioner.
Black tea gives volume and luster to your hair. It adds body and bounce to your hair. In short black tea has a conditioning effect on hair. It is easy to manage your hair after the black tea rinse. It also gives your hair a darker color. Studies show that it can nullify the damage done by chemicals in the shampoo. Decaf tea should not be used for rinsing since it does not have caffeine.
When it comes to the tea that is consumed most widely, black tea is at the top. It is made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant and is far more oxidized than the green, white, and oolong teas. This means that it usually has a stronger flavor than the other varieties. Tea is good for the general health of the body as well as hair health. In this article, we will look at how you can benefit from using black tea for hair.
Black tea is a great addition to any diet due to its many health benefits. Similar to other varieties of tea, black tea has caffeine, proteins, amino acids, potassium, carbohydrates, minerals, fluoride manganese, and polyphenols. There are also catechins, xanthine, purine, guanine, tannin, and gallic esters. Polyphenols antioxidants are linked to many health benefits.
Since black tea has high amounts of caffeine and antioxidants, it is said to be very beneficial for the hair’s health. You could add black tea to your hair care regimen to get damage-free and stronger hair. Some of the different benefits are mentioned below.
Benefits of Using Black Tea for Hair
The caffeine in the black tea helps to stimulate hair growth once it is used one time a month. This happens because blood flow would increase to radiate around your scalp and encourage improved growth from the hair follicles. Excessive use of caffeine must be avoided.
In addition, the caffeine content will help lower Dihydrotestosterone or DHNT, a hormone in the scalp that would cause hair loss. Drinking the tea will help in increasing the thickness of your hair and reducing loss because the caffeine would block the DHT hormone to prevent shedding. It also adds shine as well as softens the hair.
Black tea will act as a natural dyeing agent for hair and is well-suited for women who want to remove grey or fading dyes from their brown or dark black hair. It has been proven to be very effective when it comes to dyeing hair because it contains caffeine as a natural ingredient.
While this is a good thing, you must be very careful when using the tea, as the caffeine can stunt your hair growth. In addition to darkening your hair and adding shine, the tea will bring out the natural highlights.
When black is used as a rinse in your hair care regimen, its dark hue will add luster, natural darkness, and shine to your hair. For this purpose, you can add three tea bags to six cups of boiling water. The mixture can be kept at room temperature for an hour and then poured on your head. Afterward, you can use a towel to wrap your hair and then wash as normal after one or two hours.
You can enjoy many benefits if you drink black tea for hair and general health and well-being. Drink in moderate amounts to prevent side effects such as insomnia and digestive problems.
Black Tea During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is probably the time when women get unbelievably careful and conscious of what they eat and do not eat. At this time, ladies carrying a life do not only think of their health but more over the physical condition of the existence they are carrying inside their body. Amidst this certainty, there have been different opinions about what is safe and not good to gobble by a pregnant woman. Sadly, even health practitioners, medical researchers, and fitness experts have different opinions on this issue.
This matter is even true with the healthy drink called Tea. This tea actually has almost the same benefit as loose leaf green tea. Black tea (in its real and most genuine form) is found to be one of the healthiest drinks. This is mostly true for black tea. According to Healthline.com, Black tea is a source of caffeine, a methylxanthine that stimulates the central nervous system, relaxes the smooth muscle in the airways to the lungs (bronchioles), and stimulates the heart and acts on the kidney as a diuretic (increasing urine).
One cup of tea contains about 50 milligrams of caffeine, depending on the strength and size of the cup (as compared to coffee, which contains 65 to 175 milligrams of caffeine per cup). Tea also contains polyphenols (catechins, anthocyanins, phenolic acids), tannin, trace elements, and vitamins.
Aside from this scientific form of black tea, it also shares the same benefits that of best loose leaf tea it has the following benefits:
- Healthy teeth
- Improved digestive system
- Relief from stress
- Stronger immune system
However, questions and doubtful minds still arise. So, is black tea really safe for pregnant women?
Most doctors agree that 200mg of caffeine is safe for expecting women. With this number, we can say that it is out of harm’s way to have a little cup of black tea a day. However, too much caffeine in a woman’s pregnant body may cause (a) an increase in urine (b) a higher risk of miscarriage (c) sleep problems, and (d) difficulty in sleeping.
A pregnant woman should also not forget that caffeine is not only present in tea. It can also be found in all forms of chocolate, coffee, and cola drinks. That is why one should make sure not only about her tea intake but also of her ingestion of other caffeinated food. Another factor to consider when drinking this type of drink is its authenticity. Due to its widespread in the market, it is not very easy to spy on genuine black tea. Some may contain preservatives, sugar, slimming benefits, calming advantages, and artificial color. That is why it is best advised to carefully read the product label and description. It is also best to buy from tea shops and not just from any grocery stores. When ordering from coffee places, the best tip is to ask the seller for the authenticity of the black tea.
Aside from this, watch out for the amount of sugar present in every cup of black tea. As most pregnant women know, too much sugar may result in pregnancy-related diabetes.
On the other hand, there are also some health advocates and practitioners who altogether suggest not to have even a little cup of this soothing black tea. One of their reasons is, according to 2013 research, caffeine intake results in low birth weight.
BMC Central claims that they found that for a baby expected to be of average birth weight (3.6kg), it equated to a loss of 21-28 grams per 100mg of caffeine consumed per day. Caffeine also extended the length of pregnancy by 5 hours per 100mg of caffeine per day. This is also true with organic loose leaf tea. Some doctors and pregnancy experts also argue that since black tea has no direct advantage or benefit to pregnant women, it is best to avoid it.
Organic Black Tea
Organic black tea is the tea grown, taking into consideration a lot of environmental factors. This is grown without using chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Usually, the tea grown at a higher altitude is organic tea since pollution is minimal at high altitudes. Some agencies certify a tea as organic tea. Even the soil quality is taken into consideration while certifying the tea.
Milk, Lemon, and Some Sweetener
Black tea can be taken plain or with some form of sweetener, milk or lemon. Milk added to tea reduces the anti-oxidant quality of tea since the milk proteins bind with the flavonoids, reducing its beneficial effects. It is better not to add milk to tea to exploit its health effects completely. At the same time, some people feel that it reduces the harshness of caffeine. About lemon tea also, a difference of opinion prevails. Some believe it increases immunity as lemon contains vitamin C. Others say that it makes the neutral tea acidic and so it is not advisable to add lemon to tea.
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