Green Tea Vs. Black Tea – Which One Is Healthier?

Green Tea vs. Black Tea

• The Differences between Green Tea and Black Tea

While the benefits of both tea types are almost similar, the primary black tea and green tea difference lies in the processing of the leaves. The leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant are used to make green and black tea. The leaves for making black tea are exposed to the oxidation process while the green tea leaves are not.

• Black Tea –

The leaves of this tea are slightly black or dark brown. This is because the leaves are exposed to air after they are rolled. This triggers the oxidation process of the leaves, which eventually causes colour change. Due to the dark colour of the leaves, you will notice more intense flavours in black tea than in green tea. Black tea, however, is more intense with more caffeine content.

• Green Tea –

This tea is very light and the flavours are not as intense as black tea. This is because the tea leaves are kept safe from exposure to air. No oxidation takes place here, thereby keeping the colour of the leaves fresh and light. Green tea has more antioxidants and amino acids to balance out the effects of caffeine.

• Green Tea: Having an edge -

In the green tea vs. black tea comparison, green tea holds a slight advantage as it is rich in EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), one of the most powerful antioxidants. Although more human studies are needed to prove the health benefits of EGCG, it is known to reduce the risk of certain cancers, bring down the impacts of Alzheimer’s disease, reduce exhaustion, induce calmness, and lower the risk of fatty liver issues.

• Black tea: Contains Theaflavins -

Apart from the process, another major black tea and green tea difference is that the latter contains theaflavins, a group of powerful antioxidants and polyphenols. This is found only in black tea, as this ingredient is formed when the tea leaves are exposed to the oxidation process. These theaflavins provide notable health benefits. These include protecting cells from oxidative stress caused by free radicals, keeping heart and blood vessels healthy, reducing cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and helping in weight management.

• The Similarities between Green Tea and Black Tea

Green tea and black tea come packed with antioxidants that provide many health benefits, such as —

• Improved Cardiac Health

Green and black tea are loaded with polyphenols, a group of antioxidants known to improve your overall heart health. However, when you do a green tea vs. black tea comparison, flavonoids, a part of polyphenols, are found to be more in green tea than in black tea. Thanks to these antioxidants, green tea and black tea help in:

• Protecting your heart against certain ailments like heart attacks and strokes

• Preventing the formation of plaques in blood vessels

• Reducing bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides

• Lowering blood pressure

Quite a few studies support the benefits of green and black tea for your heart.

• Enhanced Brain Function

Caffeine, a stimulant, is an important part of any type of tea. Green and black teas are no different from this rule. These teas also contain an important amino acid, L-theanine. These ingredients help in:

• Stimulating your nervous system

• Preventing the functioning of adenosine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter

• Improving the functioning of dopamine and serotonin transmitters, which help in improving your mood and making you feel relaxed

• Improving overall alertness and memory

• Triggering the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory transmitter in the brain to keep you vigilant but stress-free at all times

Coffee contains only caffeine, but green and black teas contain L-theanine along with caffeine. Hence, these teas can keep you more alert and energised than coffee, and they are definitely healthier ways to ingest caffeine.

Which is Better?

Now that we have done a detailed green tea vs. black tea comparison, you might wonder which one is healthier for you. On the face of it, green and black tea may seem to provide similar health benefits.

However, the black tea and green tea difference you should focus on is their composition. Green tea’s polyphenol content is higher. The amino acid L-theanine is unique to green tea. This brings a balance to the stimulating effect of the caffeine content in the tea.

Black tea, on the other hand, has more caffeine than green tea, but it doesn’t have the amino acids to balance out the effects of caffeine. Hence, green tea might be a better and healthier choice than black tea, according to experts. However, if you want to avoid coffee but enjoy the intense benefits of caffeine only, you may opt for black tea occasionally.