Black Tea : The “Blues Buster”
[Photo by Don Mei at Mei Leaf Tea : https://twitter.com/mei_leaf_tea ]
Out of the various types of tea, more disinformation probably exists about black tea than the other major types. One example of such disinformation is the mistaken belief that black tea has higher caffeine content than the “less black” types, such as green tea. In fact, scientific research generally shows us that it is GREEN tea which has a higher caffeine content :
Caffeine in Green Tea Vs. Black Tea
http://www.livestrong.com/article/146904-caffeine-in-green-tea-vs-black-tea/
A major reason why this seems to be counter-intuitive is because the effects of caffeine in green tea are counteracted by the calming biochemical effects of the phytochemical L-Theanine (found in high concentrations in green tea). The combination of caffeine and L-Theanine in green tea produce the psychoactive effect of calmness while simultaneously increasing overall energy levels in the body, and having positive effects on mood and cognition :
Caffeine & L-Theanine
https://hvmn.com/biohacker-guide/nootropics/caffeine-theanine
Despite the less substantial effects of caffeine in black tea, the most potent – and medicinal – compounds contained in this type of tea are numerous powerful flavonoids which have a significant healing effect on the inflammation process in the body. As scientific research is increasingly showing inflammation to be at the core of most disease processes, the therapeutic effects of black tea are becoming more and more obvious :
Novel Method Combats Chronic Inflammation
http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2009/1/novel-method-combats-chronic-inflammation/page-01
This ultimately segues perfectly into a discussion on the therapeutic effects of black tea consumption on depression. Research in neuroscience – as well as the newer discipline known as “psychoneuroimmunology” – is increasingly showing a strong link between inflammation and depression. In fact, some serious researchers are going so far as to say that depression is one of the body’s main RESPONSE mechanisms to inflammation :
Depression’s Link to Inflammation Gains Strength
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/10/09/depression-inflammation.aspx
Another major way in which black tea helps alleviate inflammation in the system is through its positive effects on the level of the stress hormone cortisol. Normally, cortisol acts as a SUPPRESSOR of inflammation in the body. However, when cortisol is released chronically, and in high amounts, it begins to have the OPPOSITE effect, as “runaway inflammation” begins to have DAMAGING physiological effects, instead of the more protective ones:
Cortisol’s Role in Stress and Inflammation
http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/111609p38.shtml
One of the ways that black tea helps alleviate inflammation is by lowering the intensity and longevity of cortisol release into the system. Studies have shown that people who drink black tea release less cortisol, and for shorter amounts of time, than those who drink less, or no, black tea :
Drinking Black Tea May Soothe Stress
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20061005/drinking-black-tea-may-soothe-stress#1
This ultimately means that consuming black tea in healthy quantities on a regular (daily) basis can have a therapeutic effect on minimizing the systemic inflammation which contributes to the varies types of depression. This is IN ADDITION to the anti-inflammatory effects of ALL teas on diseases such as arthritis, atherosclerosis, diabetes, and various other disorders which have inflammation at their core..
Just be aware that not all black teas are the same, and it is surely best to educate yourself on the different types and qualities of black teas from people who are highly knowledgeable on the subject of tea. Here is an excellent video by the folks at Mei Leaf teahouse, in London, describing the history and characteristics of some of the highest quality black teas from their original source in China :
Original blog post at : https://bigpharmaresistanceofamerica.wordpress.com/2016/10/18/the-therapeutic-effects-of-black-tea-on-depression/
Amazing
I have grown a taste for green tea over the years, mainly because of the effects of L-Theanine against anxiety.
Yup! I have the same issues. Luckily, there is actually a type of Oolong tea which contains GABA - the inhibitory neurotransmitter which all anti-anxiety drugs effect (albeit through synthetic chemical means). Here is a blog post of mine (with a great video from Mei Leaf) which I think will REALLY resonate with you. I have been planning to post this on SteemIt. Let me know if the post is worthy... https://bigpharmaresistanceofamerica.wordpress.com/2016/09/30/tea-and-gaba/
This is awesome. I'm not much of a tea drinker but definitely thought black tea had more caffeine. Pretty amazing to learn all the different benefits of drinking different teas. I need to branch out a little more and try some new things. This is a great post and well written. Wonderful job here. Is bigpharmaresist your page?
Hi @walkingkeys . Thanks for the positive words. Yes, Big Pharma Resistance of America is my non-profit public awareness project : https://twitter.com/bigpharmaresist @transcript-junky
@transcript-junky, wow. That was a well researched and written blog on black tea. I loved the way you explained it. Upvoted it. Thanks for the awesome post.
Thanks @topdog. Yes, I have quite a few more existing blog posts like this which I will be posting on SteemIt at a comfortable pace (probably one per week). In the meantime I am also working on some new ones. I always try to write with clarity, while also providing a sizable helping of quality information, but without overwhelming the reader. It is an art which I am constantly developing. The main issue is that people generally have limited time and attention span, and so it is important to present content in comfortable amounts, and in an organized way which is most easily digestible. @transcript-junky
@transcript-junky, You have the perfect understanding about blogging. People's attention span is usually about 20 minutes after which you tend to loose them. translating that to blogging, a blog with 750 to 1500 words ( max 2000 words) is ideal to retain the attention span, interjected with some nice images and some light conversations.
A serious / dry subject tends to lose attention much faster, so some trivias, titbits, did you knows, short stories, jokes, one liners, catch phrases etc do help in creating an engaging conversation with the reader while keeping the essence of the blog in tact and delivering what it was intended to do.
I am a free flow writer ( first time blogger at steemit, never blogged earlier) I write as the thought comes to my mind and I do not prepare a draft. when it comes to serious subjects or something that needs deeper understanding or research, I read as much as possible first and then spend some time pondering over it and then just start writing as my mind flows. some new ideas and thoughts come in and the blog takes a different path. as you said it is an art that requires constant tweaking.
from your reply I see that you already have what it takes to become successful in this platform. Ciao.
@topdog Thanks. Yes, I am ALSO a more free-form writer, as well as a poet, and so my natural mode is to simply spew words onto the page, and THEN go back and do the REAL work of shaping it into something managebly consumable to the reader. The good news is that this is a common mode for many writers, and there are proven techniques which help make the transition from "mental spew" to more polished prose. Actually, the research aspect of these more non-fiction posts I write provides the kind of order/structure which helps "save me from myself", by making the writing process more organized, and the finished product equally organized. It's a bit of work, but the finished product is always satisfying in the sense that I know the reader is able to gain somee valuable knowledge, in a way which is enjoyable, since I write in a way which is relatively easy to digest. Thanks for your complimentary feedback. @transcript-junky