Green, Oolong, and Black Tea: Incredible Health Benefits
- Jenn Korn
- Nov 11, 2018
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 5, 2018
Green tea, black tea, and oolong tea are three different teas that all originate from the same plant species, Camellia sinensis. The teas differ because of the way they are processed. It is believed that green and oolong tea originated in China, while black tea was first made in the Assam district of India.
Although all teas originate from the same species (camellia sinensis), the plant varies in form. Camellia sinensis sinensis is a small-leafed variety of the species that is used to make green and oolong tea. This type of camellia sinensis can grow in cold, dry climates. Camellia sinensis assamica is a large-leafed variety of the species that is used to produce black tea. This variety of camellia sinensis grows in warm, moist climates.
The Benefits Of All 3 Teas
Each of the three teas offers substantial health benefits, many of which are shared among them; here is a list of just a few of the many perks to drinking these teas:
Enhanced mental awareness
All three teas have caffeine in them, which is known to help maintain mental performance. When caffeine is not consumed in excessive amounts, it can positively affect consumers.
May help prevent diabetes
Studies have been conducted on all three teas to determine whether they can help prevent type 2 diabetes. The Department of Nutrition at Mahidol University in Thailand conducted a study on black tea that confirmed that polyphenols (a type of antioxidant) lower glycemic response, which is the effect that food has on blood sugar levels. Polyphenols are also in oolong tea, and other studies have confirmed that tea intake has resulted in decreased blood glucose and insulin levels.
Antioxidants
All three teas contain catechins. These antioxidants promote heart health, enhance insulin sensitivity, and reduce cellular damage. Because antioxidants positively affect the balance of cell production and death, cancer may be preventable. A study was conducted on men who were at high-risk for developing prostate cancer to see if green tea could help prevent this. The results concluded that 3% of the men taking green tea were at risk, while 30% of the men not taking green tea were at risk.
Heart Health
Cardiovascular benefits of the three teas have been studied. In a study done on the Chinese population, the risk of hypertension was significantly reduced by consuming green or oolong tea. A study on how black tea affects the risk of cardiovascular disease suggested that black tea decreases cardiovascular risk factors. All three teas contain flavonoids, which are antioxidants that benefit heart health.
Weight Loss
Green tea and oolong tea both effectively promote weight loss because of their high caffeine and catechin content. Black tea has shown to promote weight loss equally, but it affects the liver metabolism differently than green tea and oolong tea. Black tea molecules aren't as small as green and oolong tea; black tea does not get absorbed and instead remains in the intestine to promote the growth of good bacteria. This helps regulate liver energy metabolism. Green and oolong tea molecules do get absorbed into the liver and directly affect energy metabolism.
Brain Health
All three teas contain L-theanine, which is an amino acid that helps relieve anxiety and helps aid in concentration. This balances out the effects of the caffeine in the teas. A study linked tea consumption to improved memory and cognitive function. Some studies suggest that regular consumption of the teas may help prevent Parkinson’s Disease.
Is One Tea Better Than The Others?
Not necessarily. All three of the teas have distinct things about them that may make them more preferable over the other teas. This could simply be the flavor. Regarding the caffeine content, black tea has the highest amount of caffeine; green tea has the lowest. Black tea is also the most oxidized of the three teas, while green tea is the least.
When deciding which tea to try, it is important to research the benefits of that particular tea. Although many of the benefits of the teas are very similar or the same, it’s still good to be sure you’re taking the best tea for your needs.
Side effects of the teas are similar and include:
- Headache
- Tremors
- Stomach issues
- Sleep problems
- Iron deficiency
- Dizziness
- Vomiting
When choosing which tea to consume, be sure to explore the potential side effects and interactions of that specific tea. Most of these side effects occur when too much tea is consumed. To avoid this, drink no more than 4 cups of tea per day if you are a seasoned tea drinker, and no more than 1-2 if you are just starting out.
Similarly to how not everyone can drink coffee because of the caffeine content, not everyone can drink tea. Especially when consumed in high doses, tea can cause fidgeting and nervousness. Green tea has also shown to slow down thyroid function when taken in large amounts. This can be dangerous for those with hypothyroidism. Tea can either help or worsen digestive issues because it increases the amount of acid in the stomach.
Not a Tea Drinker? No Worries!
Luckily, you can obtain all of the benefits of certain teas without having to actually drink them. For those who don’t like the taste of tea, extracts have been made available and provide all of the tea’s medicinal benefits. Extracts come in pill, tincture, and powder form.
Green tea extract is the most common of the three. It comes in all three forms and can easily be found at health food stores and online.
Black tea extract can also be found in health food stores and online; however, it is slightly less common than green tea extract.
Oolong tea extract is the least common of the three and is difficult to find; however, it can still be found, especially online.
Utilizing tea extracts is a great way to accurately dose, as measuring doses can be tricky when drinking tea from a cup. It is important to remember that extracts are usually much higher in concentration than the drinkable tea. Consuming too much of the extract can result in the side effects mentioned earlier, so be careful with dosing; it’s best to start small.
The type of tea you choose to consume does not matter greatly, as the list of benefits covered in this article applies to all three teas. Hopefully after learning about all of the perks of drinking tea, it will taste even more delicious!
I hate coffee, so i’m glad to see a post on tea for once. I see things about coffee everywhere, yet nothing of tea. And I like to say that I love tea, but honestly I had no idea the differences in any type. I would just drink whatever kind i was given, and I’ve never tasted a difference in them. I always wondered what those differences are, so I really found this quite interesting. I’ve also always heard that tea could help you sleep, so I was surprised to see that a side effect could be sleep problems.
I was always a person who always considered myself more of a coffee drinker than a tea lover. This past year though, especially since I started working at a café in downtown New Haven, I’ve been obsessed with all kinds of teas and their benefits. I found this post really interesting and I learned a lot that I didn’t know before about tea. I knew tea was associated with weight loss but had no idea that it also affects one’s brain and heart health as well. I also had no idea that just drinking tea could cause tremors or sleeping problems. Personally, my favorite tea is any lemon flavored one like lemon ginger; it’s perfect for me any time o…
Thanks for sharing. I’m not a tea drinker myself (coffee in the morning, coffee in the evening), but after reading this I may give it a shot. I do take fish oil tablets for omega-3, but I never thought about tea extract pills; something else for me to think about.
The three teas differ mainly because of oxidation. Black tea contains the most caffeine because it is the most oxidized. Here is an article which goes into detail about how each type of tea is specifically processed and how it affects its chemical composition; it also includes information about other teas! https://theteaspot.com/about-tea.html
As for what causes the side effects, it is the caffeine. Especially when too much tea is consumed, caffeine can cause the side effects mentioned. A solution could be consuming decaffeinated teas; however, this will affect a few of the benefits (enhanced mental awareness, weight loss, etc.). To lessen the chance of experiencing the unpleasant side effects, I recommend consuming only 1-2 cups a day (never exceed 4…
You mentioned that the teas different based on how they're processed. How does the processing effect their chemical properties? Also, I love how you included how each of the teas work in terms of benefits, but what causes the side-effects? With that information you could find other teas that work just as well without any risk.