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10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Black Tea

Medically reviewed by Imashi Fernando, MS, RDN, CDCES — By Autumn Enloe, MS, RD, LD — Updated on February 9, 2023

• Benefits
• Takeaway

Black tea is rich in antioxidants and may provide health benefits, including improved heart and gut health and a reduced risk for certain diseases.

Aside from water, black tea is one of the most consumedTrusted Source beverages in the world.

It comes from the Camellia sinensis plant and is often blended with other plants for different flavors, such as Earl Grey or chai.

It’s stronger in flavor and contains more caffeine than other teas, but less caffeine than coffee.

Black tea also offers a variety of health benefits because it contains antioxidants and compounds that may help reduce inflammation in the body.

 

Benefits of black tea

Here are 10 health benefits of black tea, all supported by science.

1. Has antioxidant properties

Antioxidants are known to provide a host of health benefits.

Consuming them can help remove free radicals and decrease cell damage in the body. This ultimately may help decrease the risk of chronic disease (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source).

Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant found in certain foods and beverages, including black tea.

Groups of polyphenols, including catechins, theaflavins, and thearubigins, are the main sources of antioxidants in black tea and may promote overall health (3Trusted Source).

In fact, one study in rats examined the role of theaflavins and thearubigins in black tea and the risk of diabetes, obesity, and elevated cholesterol. Results showed that theaflavins and thearubigins reduced cholesterol and blood sugar levels (4Trusted Source).