What’s black tea extract?

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Black tea, like green, white, and oolong tea, is made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis. However, black tea is more oxidized than other types of tea made from this plant, giving it its color and name. All teas made with Camellia sinensis have different levels and varieties of polyphenols, antioxidants with a list of potential health benefits. Drinking enough tea to get these purported benefits could be difficult; thus, extracts that preserve the active ingredients of black tea are available. Black tea extract is available in different forms, each of which may have potential benefits for general health.

Black tea extract can be purchased as pills, which include the powdered form of the extract, or as tinctures mixed with water and sometimes alcohol. No study has conclusively shown that either form has substantial health effects; therefore, this extract is not recommended for treating disease or illness. As a dietary supplement, however, it can provide many benefits.

There are five types of polyphenols, and each can be found at different levels and chemical structures in various teas. While black tea shares many of the similar qualities of its most popular dietary supplement, green tea, black tea has lower levels of these supposedly healthy antioxidants. Green tea can be 30 to 40 percent polyphenols, while black tea can only be 3 to 10 percent due to the way it’s processed.

Although black tea has lower amounts of antioxidants, black tea extract is believed to have positive effects on general health and the prevention of life-threatening conditions. Black tea extract has catechins, including a special type called epigallocatechin gallate (ECGC), an antioxidant that recent studies point to as possibly the most effective polyphenol in fighting cancer. Other antioxidants called flavonoids are also present in this extract. Studies have suggested that they may help reduce the chance of specific types of cancer, such as pancreatic cancer, by attacking certain types of cancerous free radicals in the body. These polyphenols may also reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke by lowering unhealthy cholesterol levels.

Black tea extract has also shown evidence of aiding weight loss. This is due to the metabolic effects of some of the polyphenols; when a person’s metabolic rate is raised, they can supposedly burn more calories even at rest. Lower cholesterol levels and black tea extract’s tendency to improve circulation by increasing oxygen flow may also support weight loss. A doctor should be consulted before introducing herbal supplements into the diet, as they may have adverse side effects.

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