Which is Healthier: Green Tea or Black Tea?
We get this question a lot: Which is healthier, green tea or black tea? The answer is: Both! They are both healthy and delicious.
Which one is better for you? The one that tastes the best to you – the one that enlivens your taste buds, matches your palate and encourages you to enjoy cup after cup. After all, if it’s healthy but you don’t love the taste… you won’t drink it!
All tea, black, oolong, green and white, comes from the camellia sinensis plant, and contains similar nutrients and caffeine. It’s all in how it’s processed that sets each tea apart and gives them their distinctive flavors.
Black tea tends to release more caffeine, and its flavonoids may help reduce cholesterol. Green tea tends to have less caffeine and is packed with more antioxidants. Tea also contains L-theanine, an amino acid discovered to have a calming effect while improving alertness and focus. You’ll get an extra big helping of L-theanine in matcha, but all teas contain this property.
Tea also holds a variety of healthy nutrients including polyphenols, EGCG and additional antioxidants, Vitamins B2 and C, beta carotene and folic acid.
Tea is personal; everyone has their favorite. Drinking either green or black tea (or both) offers variety in your daily tea ritual. It becomes a small way to be more present, to watch the tea leaves unfurl, to wait for the right moment to pour your freshly made tea into your favorite cup.
To the point, both are great additions to your day. Flavored or pure? Lightly sweet or malty and bold? Consider the country of origin when choosing a green tea; China and Japan produce very different green teas.
Explore Healthy Green Teas and Black Teas
There is a huge variety to explore in the world of green and black teas…
For a classic Japanese green tea, try: Organic Sencha Green Tea
This golden-green infusion is sweet, with notes of freshly cut wildflowers and toasted nuts. Its aftertaste is earthy and floral, with some balancing astringency.
To taste a pure green tea from China, try: Organic Mao Feng Green Tea
Aromatic, with the savory-sweet aroma of a spring meadow, this brews into a green-gold cup. The infusion is grassy without being brash, palate-filling and umami-rich with roasty hints and floral notes.
Experience a complex black tea from India: Organic Darjeeling Sungma Estate
This pure, single-estate Darjeeling tea captures the incredible beauty and biodiversity of Darjeeling, India. Clean, bright flavors are key in this tea with sweet notes of freshly cut wildflowers, white grapes and ripe nectarines.
To enjoy a flavored green tea, go to a favorite: Pink Earl Grey Green Tea
This novel take on classic Earl Grey is sure to awaken your senses. Brilliant pink petals greet you, along with a decadent, creamy aroma. Tart rhubarb and floral rose come forward quickly. This green tea offers just enough earthiness to ground the bright notes.
And for a rich flavored black tea: Ginger Peach Black Tea
Two types of black tea create this full-bodied infusion. Generous pieces of sweet peaches and spicy cinnamon, ginger and cloves create a luscious aroma, enjoyable infusion and pleasant aftertaste.
Cheers to healthy tea rituals!
Check out our Green Tea Buyer’s Guide
