Tea is one of the most popular and old beverages consumed around the world in a variety of ways.
Also, there are many varieties of tea available such as Green tea, black tea, white tea, oolong tea, Pu-Erh Tea, etc.
If you drink it in the correct way green tea or black tea provides many health benefits.
In this post, we gonna cover up green tea versus black tea and see which is healthier and why.
Green tea versus Black tea – Main Difference
Plant from which Green tea and Black tea obtained
Not only green tea and black tea but almost all the tea come from the same plant called Camellia Sinensis plant. The factors that differentiate tea leaves are processing and harvesting of the leaf.
Such as black tea is oxidised (fully fermented) while green tea is not oxidised (non-fermented). Also, green tea leaves undergo very minimal processing.
How green tea produce?
Green tea is not-fermented, tender tea leaves first harvested from the plant and then heated through steaming, or pan firing to prevent withering and oxidation.
Heating of the leaves will stop the oxidation process which preserves the natural flavor and color of the green tea.
How black tea produce?
Black tea is fully fermented, black tea and green tea harvested from the same plant but the main difference is black tea leaves undergoes fermentation process for several hours before being flame fired, smoke fired, or steamed to make black tea.
In other words, it goes from the complete oxidation process.
The black tea leaves first rolled to create little space between them, then exposed tea leaves to the air to start the oxidation process.
After that tea leaves are set up outside in a large area where oxygen turns the leaves color to black and during this process, the flavors of the tea intensified.
At the last stage, black tea leaves are fired out from the oven to stop the oxidation process.
Which tastes better Green tea or Black tea?
Flavor or taste creates a big difference between green tea and black tea. Let’s talk about the taste of green tea first.
Green tea has a slightly bitter or acidic taste and more clearer in color than black tea when prepared.
If you steep green tea for too long in hot water it tastes can get even more bitter or acidic than before.
While Black tea is dark in color when prepared and has a malty flavor (sweet and nutty). Black tea is very strong in taste and bitter when compared to green tea which is very lighter.
Caffeine Content – Green tea vs Black tea
Both green tea and black tea contain caffeine which is a very well-known stimulant.
1 cup (230 ml) of green tea contains = 30 – 50 mg of caffeine.
1 cup (230 ml) of black tea contains = 25 – 110 mg of caffeine.
The safe limit considered for adults over the age of 18 is to be around 400 mg per day.
Caffeine stimulates the nervous system and releases mood-enhancing neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.
Usually, tea bags contain more caffeine content than loose leaves because tea leaves are crushed before putting into tea bags which extract more caffeine from the leaves.
Also, the longer you steep your tea into the hot water the more caffeine will enter your cup.
Although both green tea and black are a great alternative to coffee and other caffeinated beverages with lots of health benefits.
Which is best for weight loss Green tea or Black tea?
The first thing to keep in mind is that drinking green tea or black tea alone can’t help you in losing weight is the overall diet and exercise you do every day that’s count.
Both green tea and black tea contain a strong compound that helps in boosting the weight loss process.
Green tea and black tea both contain caffeine which is a very effective compound when it comes to weight loss or fat loss.
Catechins are a very effective component that is found in both green and black tea.
A study was done in 2012 on 118 Chinese adults with a very high amount of abdominal visceral fat.
They have given green tea enriched beverage to one group containing (609.3 mg catechins and 68.7 mg caffeine daily) while the other group will be given a beverage containing (86.2 mg of catechins and 40.4 mg of caffeine daily).
After the 12-week study ended they find out that the group with higher catechins intakes lost a significant amount of visceral fat and lost body weight up to (-1.0 kg) while no changes occurred in the other group with a lower intake of catechins.
Green tea has a higher level of catechins than black tea because black tea undergoes the fermentation process for long hours before being flame fired or smoke fired.
But hey anyway opting for green tea or black tea instead of sugary caffeinated drinks will cut down a lot of calories which keeps you in a calorie deficit and helps in losing weight.
To make black tea more effective do not add any kind of sugar, honey, and milk to it. Make it simple just like green tea.
At last no matter which tea you like the most make sure to buy only the best brands available in the market.
Hope you liked this conclusion on Green Tea versus Black Tea.
Conclusion: Green tea and black tea both come from the same plant just the processing and harvesting of the leaf are different. Both teas have health benefits if you drink it in the correct way. Comment down below which tea is your favorite and why.
