General Discussion The mental health benefits of black tea

Toni Star

Toni Star

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I wanted to briefly share the health benefits of black tea. I often suffer from chronic pain at night and this pain interrupts my sleep, which takes away needed energy for the day. Pain interrupted my sleep once again last night. I often have tea with lunch but today I was in a hurry to get back to online work. Later because I was feeling so tired and a bit down, I took time to have two cups of black tea. What a difference! I feel healthier, have more energy and feel more positive. Has anyone here noticed the good mental health benefits of black tea?
 
My very very very favorite is Twinings Green Lemon tea. Just plain Twinings Green is okay, but the green lemon is amazing.

One wild thing about it is that it does not become bitter, no matter how long I leave the teabag in the water. Another is that one bag will make about a quart of tea, if you leave the bag in for a while, so I just get it really hot and let it sit for 30-60 minutes. I often start it steeping before going to bed, and drink it the next morning, soon as I get up. (Just blast it a few minutes in the microwave, and I'm good to go.)

A warning though... avoid the Bigelow brand of green lemon tea. I'm by no means a tea snob and will happily drink most any kind of tea offered to me. The Bigelow version is one frantic exception. It's one of the ironies in my life that the tea that's my very favorite has essentially the same name as one of the few that I might risk life and limb to avoid. (It makes me think of warm swamp water...)

As health benefits go, both green and black tea have plenty of clinical data attesting to health benefits, if you drink lots of it. It is much easier to drink lots of green tea as it has very little bitterness, and can be drunk in volume without adding anything to it that might add up to extra pounds 'round the waist. (My dental hygienist spends a little longer cleaning my teeth as a result, but she just says it helps keep her employed, so, no worries...)

Also very interesting is oolong tea, which is sort of a halfway point in the process of converting green tea to black. It's the tea served in a fair number of Chinese restaurants, though some oolongs might have a slightly different flavor.
 
While both are good, green tea is thought to have more health benefits (more antioxidants, I think.) However, I like black tea better, so I drink it more often, and I drink a lot...so in the end it balances out, I imagine.

Obviously some of the energy benefits are from caffeine, but unlike coffee, I can drink tea even at night without it interfering with my sleep.
 
I think that's true, Zee. But is the effect due predominantly to the caffeine, or is that benefit secondary, do you think?
 
My father-in-law drinks nothing but black tea never really tells us why he doesn't drink coffee. He is 91 and I wonder if his life long drinking habit of consuming black tea played a role. It is not a common drink for many Americans. It is superior in health benefits and lower in caffeine dosage. I like green, black and herbal tea, so there is variety among teas. You probably know but give tumeric and a higher intake of magnesium to ease pain. Citrate is is one of the most absorbable of magnesium type and can aid as a laxative and sleep aid. Check with your doctor and visit Youtube videos on the subject. My two cents but may help.
 
Toni Star said:
I wanted to briefly share the health benefits of black tea. I often suffer from chronic pain at night and this pain interrupts my sleep, which takes away needed energy for the day. Pain interrupted my sleep once again last night. I often have tea with lunch but today I was in a hurry to get back to online work. Later because I was feeling so tired and a bit down, I took time to have two cups of black tea. What a difference! I feel healthier, have more energy and feel more positive. Has anyone here noticed the good mental health benefits of black tea?
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I noticed I relplied to the wrong member though it was appreciated by a thanks. So I am responding I hope to the correct member Toni. May I should be eating more carrots to improve vision. Any way my father-in-law drinks nothing but black tea never really tells us why he doesn't drink coffee. He is 91 and I wonder if his life long drinking habit of consuming black tea played a role in his longevity. It is not a common drink for many Americans. It is superior in health benefits and notably lower in caffeine dosage which is always in debate about its benefits. For me personally I like green, black and herbal teas. variety is the spice of life among teas. You probably know but give tumeric and a higher intake of magnesium to ease pain. Carbonate is one of the most absorbable of magnesium type and can aid as a laxative and sleep aid. Check with your doctor and visit Youtube videos on the subject. My two cents but may help
 
I’m glad that black tea benefits you so much.

I am allergic to black and green teas. Coffee is my wellness beverage. Well, as long it’s a max of two cups per day before the p.m. By cup, I mean mug, not the dainty measurement lines on my coffee pot 😏
 
suspensewriter said:
I think that's true, Zee. But is the effect due predominantly to the caffeine, or is that benefit secondary, do you think?
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I’d guess the initial energy boost is largely from the caffeine, but there are certainly subtler, long-term health benefits as well, from antioxidants and various compounds.

And the tea I don’t end up drinking, I sometimes water my plants with. They like it too.
 
My mom can't do caffeine and even decaf items have some caffeine in them. She was drinking decaf coffee but still noticed the dryness she gets from caffeine so I started ordering her Teecino herbal teas and hot beverages which are all non-caf. She likes the dandylion tea and the for a coffee alternative I have been buying the 3 pack herbal drinks on amazon which she likes. I will add the link if you want to see their products. I know they have their own website and other places they sell it.
Teecino Herbal Coffee Variety Pack
 
Yeah, @yawarakai --Ioddly, I like the dandelion tea as well. I like a blend of tea called Bengal Spice two. It's got sort of a roasted chicory taste to it.
 
Gregory A Booker said:
Any way my father-in-law drinks nothing but black tea never really tells us why he doesn't drink coffee. He is 91 and I wonder if his life long drinking habit of consuming black tea played a role in his longevity. It is not a common drink for many Americans. It is superior in health benefits and notably lower in caffeine dosage which is always in debate about its benefits.
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Somewhere I read that drinking too much black tea can contribute to stomach cancer due to the tannins in it, but that if you add milk or cream to it that neutralizes them. Anybody know if that is true?
 
I prefer to drink herbal teas. I have a sensitivity to caffeine. I like the fruit caffeine-free teas. I sometimes drink the Earl Grey decaf tea. I rarely do chocolate candy mainly due to the caffeine. However, I do drink Swiss Miss hot chocolate, it's 99.9% caffeine free.
 
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