Black tea is as healthy as green tea

It might be virtuous and exotic, but buying expensive green tea for its health-boosting properties may be a waste of money, according to a new study. The study says a mug of bog-standard black tea with a splash of milk is just as good for both your heart and circulation. The claim comes in a review of the health properties of green and black tea commissioned by the industry's Tea Advisory Panel. Dr Carrie Ruxton, a freelance dietician, said that just like the green variety, black tea has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, stroke, diabetes and tooth decay. "Studies that have looked at both types of tea have confirmed similar improvements in vascular function when black or green teas are drunk, leading to significant reductions in stroke risk," the Daily Mail quoted her as saying. Ruxton concluded that black and green tea, which both come from the plant camellia sinensis and contain similar compounds, offered the same health benefits. In 2001, a review of 17 studies concluded that the risk of heart attacks was 11 per cent lower, on average, when people drank three cups of black tea each day. "Black tea continues to demonstrate a whole host of health-giving properties. Black tea is the new green for those in the know," said Dr Catherine Hood from the Tea Advisory Panel. The finding appears in the journal Network Health Dieticians.