Black Tea Benefits and Why We Use it in Bubble Tea
Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide, second only to water, with black tea being one of the most popular.
This universality and shared love are just two reasons why black tea is a base ingredient in our delicious Baroness bubble tea! Its story is deeply seeded in history and experience and serves as motivation to create and share our own stories.
But did you know that many black tea benefits make it not only a tasty addition to your day but also something that can improve your overall health?
Black tea contains a bolder flavour than many other teas while still containing less caffeine than coffee. It strikes the perfect balance between a delightful taste and a boost of energy.
We love using black tea in all of our bubble tea flavors. Combined with fresh, delicious oat milk and our daily housemade tapioca balls, it’s a match made in heaven!
Black tea benefits are rooted in its many antioxidants and other healing compounds that serve to keep our bodies feeling in tip-top shape.
So, are you interested to learn the many health benefits of black tea and the reasons behind why it’s one of our favourite ingredients to include in our bubble tea? We hoped you would be!
What is Black Tea?
Black tea – also known as ‘red tea’ in China – was discovered in China in the mid-17th century. Before then, the only teas consumed in the country were green tea and oolong tea.
Nowadays, black tea is one of the most popular and widely produced teas globally, noted for its delectable and unique flavour. It accounts for 80% of the world’s tea production!
What sets black tea apart from green tea is that the tea leaves are fully oxidized before they are heated and dried. In other words, oxygen interacts with the tea plant to turn the leaves a rich dark brown to black colour that gives black tea its name.
Oxidation also gives black tea its robust flavour profile, supplying a fuller, bolder taste with just a hint of sweetness.
This combination of flavours, complimented with our fresh oat milk and house-made tapioca balls, is what gives our bubble tea its signature taste richly steeped in storytelling from beginning to end.
Black Tea Benefits
Now that we know a little bit more about its extensive history, let’s get into the many black tea benefits that will have you rearing to get your hands on it!
Black Tea is Rich in Antioxidants
Drinking black tea is an excellent source of antioxidants that can help reduce the risk of chronic disease.
Specifically, black tea is rich in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that can improve overall health and help minimize the risk of diabetes, obesity and heightened cholesterol levels.
While you can take antioxidant supplements, research indicates that the best way to consume them is through food and drinks. May we suggest some tasty bubble tea?
Black Tea May Boost Heart Health
Another set of antioxidants in black tea are called flavonoids, which directly benefit heart health.
Studies show that consuming flavonoids, like those found in black tea, may help reduce multiple risks for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and obesity.
For example, in a 2011 randomized controlled study, evidence showed that drinking black tea for 12 weeks decreased blood sugar levels by 18%.
Another study found that people who drank three cups of black tea per day had an 11% reduced risk of developing heart disease.
So, not only can black tea consumption, like in our delicious Baroness bubble tea, make your heart warm and happy, it promotes heart health, too!
Black Tea Helps Maintain Blood Sugar Levels
High blood sugar levels can increase your risk of various health complications, including Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney failure and depression.
Consuming too much sugar can increase these levels and the risk of developing these conditions. Black tea is an excellent non-sweetened drink that can help promote insulin in the body.
In fact, evidence from a 2013 study indicates that black and green tea lower blood sugar and improve how the body breaks down sugar.
Black Tea Can Help You Focus
While it contains less caffeine than coffee, black tea contains more caffeine than other tea blends.
Caffeine can help us feel more attentive by providing us with more energy. The amino acid L-theanine is also found in black tea, which helps improve alertness and focus.
Research has found that black tea and other beverages containing L-theanine and caffeine have the most significant impact on focus due to L-theanine’s effects on the brain.
In two randomized studies testing the effects of drinking black tea on accuracy and alertness, participants who received black tea saw a significant increase in accuracy and self-reported alertness than those who got the placebo.
In this way, a cup of black tea or treating yourself to a yummy bubble tea could be just what you need to improve your energy and focus without getting too hopped up on caffeine!
Black Tea May Help Reduce the Risk of Cancer
If we haven’t convinced you thus far of the benefits of black tea, this one might be the deciding factor.
As we mentioned, one of the benefits of drinking black tea is the polyphenols, but did you know that the polyphenols you ingest from drinking black tea may help prevent the survival of cancer cells?
That’s right! According to research, the polyphenols in green tea and black tea may reduce cancer cells’ growth and reduce new cancer cell development.
Further scientific evidence shows that the polyphenols in black tea may also help conquer hormone-dependent breast tumours’ spread in breast cancer.
Of course, black tea should not be viewed as an alternative treatment for cancer, but it could help decrease cancer cell survival and development.
Black Tea - Taste the Truth
The history of black tea dates back a long time, and people continue to reap its many benefits to this day.
Who knew that something that tasted so delicious could do so many wondrous things for our bodies!
With so many black tea benefits, it’s no surprise why we use it as one of our key ingredients for Baroness bubble tea. Combined with our suite of fresh oat milk and house-made toppings, you’re in for a flavour explosion that pays homage to its historical roots while putting a modern twist that is universally loved.
If you haven’t had the chance to try black tea bubble tea out for yourself, we encourage you to come visit Baroness Bubble Tea at 2790 W Broadway, Vancouver and try some out for yourself! Let us know what you think of our blog and receive 10% off your order!
We can’t wait to see you!
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