Green tea is a popular beverage known for its health-boosting properties, but it may not be the only tea with health benefits. According to a recent article on the website Healthline, black tea might be an alternative worth exploring. Black tea comes from the same plant as green tea, Camellia sinensis. The difference between the two lies in how they are processed—with black tea the leaves are allowed to fully oxidize, whereas with green tea the leaves undergo only minimal oxidation, producing a different chemical profile. Black tea does have antioxidants in it, although it appears to contain less than green tea; one study showed that black tea steeped in hot water (90 degrees Celsius) for two minutes released a considerable amount of antioxidants, but green tea released 2.5 times as many. Black tea may also reduce the risk of dental caries, and some, but not all, observational studies have suggested that black tea may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Nevertheless, it does appear that green tea has been studied more extensively. So if you’re drinking tea simply for its health benefits, green tea is probably a better choice.

Source: Healthline