Black Tea
Why black tea is anti-inflammatory
Black tea is anti-inflammatory, and the compounds behind that are theaflavins. Black tea and green tea come from the same plant, but black tea leaves are left to brown before drying. That browning turns their catechins into theaflavins, which give the drink its dark colour. Researchers have studied theaflavins for their possible role in reducing inflammation, so far mostly in cells and in animals.
In people, though, black tea has not been shown to bring inflammation down. Adults who drank it daily for six months showed no change in the inflammation markers that appear in a blood test.
The other evidence is of a different kind, and it comes from Britain, where almost all the tea drunk is black. Among half a million British adults followed for years, those drinking two or more cups a day had a slightly lower risk of dying. That is an association, and people who drink tea may differ from people who do not.
Most of the difference between one tea and another is what gets added to it. Bottled iced teas and instant mixes usually carry several spoonfuls of sugar per serving, and a diet high in added sugar is linked to more inflammation.
Brew a bag or a spoonful of leaves for three to five minutes. Black tea is high in tannins, compounds that bind the iron in your food so less of it is absorbed. If your iron runs low, drink your tea between meals rather than with them.
Black Tea on the AIP diet
Black tea is allowed on the Autoimmune Protocol, elimination phase included. AIP removes coffee because the coffee bean is a seed, and tea comes from a leaf, so black tea stays alongside green and herbal teas. Drink it plain: milk is out during elimination, and so are flavoured blends built on seed spices. Keep it to the morning if caffeine unsettles your sleep.
Benefits
- Carries theaflavins, the antioxidants formed when the tea leaf browns
- Two or more cups a day is linked to a slightly lower risk of dying early
- No sugar and no calories when you drink it plain
- Allowed in every phase of the AIP protocol, unlike coffee
Watch out for
- Trials in people found no change in the inflammation markers of a blood test
- High in tannins, which bind some of the iron in your food
- Bottled and instant teas are often several spoonfuls of sugar per serving
- Caffeinated, at roughly half a coffee per cup
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Frequently asked
Is black tea inflammatory?
No. It comes from the same leaf as green tea, and the browning that turns the leaf dark also turns its catechins into theaflavins, another family of plant antioxidants. Trials in people have not shown black tea bringing inflammation markers down, and nothing in a plain cup pushes them up either. Sweetened bottled versions are a different drink, since the sugar works against you.
Is black tea as good as green tea?
Green tea has the edge on antioxidants, because its leaves skip the browning step and keep their catechins. Black tea has also been studied less. Both come from the same plant, and both beat any sweetened drink you would have instead.
How much black tea a day?
Two to four cups is a sensible range, and the population studies that link tea with living longer start at two a day. Beyond that you are mainly adding caffeine.
Can you drink black tea on the AIP diet?
Yes, in every phase, elimination included. AIP takes out coffee because the coffee bean is a seed, while tea comes from a leaf. Drink it plain, since milk stays out during the elimination phase.
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