Black Tea
Supplement Forms/Alternate Names:
Introduction
Black tea is a bitter tea made from the leaves of a small shrub. It has been used to help lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and improve alertness. Black tea can also be taken as a pill, powder, or extract.
Dosages
2 to 3 cups per day
What Research Shows
Likely Effective
May Be Effective
- Diarrhea —may reduce diarrhea in children D1
Unlikely to Be Effective
- Coronary artery disease —unlikely to protect against the disease C1
Not Enough Data to Assess
- Attention A1
Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.
Safety Notes
It is likely safe to take black tea in small doses for a short time. Not enough studies have been done to say whether it is safe to take for a long period. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should not consume large amounts of black tea.
Interactions
Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some can interfere with treatment or make conditions worse, such as:
- People taking blood thinners should talk to their doctor before taking black tea. It may lower how well their medicines work.
- People with seizures or bipolar disorder should talk to their doctors before taking black tea. It may interact with their medicines.
References►
A. Attention
A1. De Bruin EA, Rowson MJ, et al. Black tea improves attention and self-reported alertness. Appetite. 2011;56(2):235-240.
B. Cardiovascular Disease
B1. Bahorun T, Luximon-Ramma A, et al. The effect of black tea on risk factors of cardiovascular disease in a normal population. Prev Med. 2012 May;54 Suppl:S98-102.
B2. Hartley L, Flowers N, et al. Green and black tea for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;18(6):CD009934.
C. Coronary Artery Disease
C1. Wang ZM, Zhou B, et al. Black and green tea consumption and the risk of coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 Mar;93(3):506-515.
D. Diarrhea
D1. Doustfatemeh S, Imanieh MH, et al. The Effect of Black Tea (Camellia sinensis (L) Kuntze) on Pediatrics With Acute Nonbacterial Diarrhea: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Evid Based Complementary Altern Med. 2017 Jan;22(1):114-119.
E. High Blood Pressure
E1. Greyling A, Ras RT, et al. The effect of black tea on blood pressure: a systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PLoS One. 2014;9(7):e103247.
E2. Liu G, Mi XN, et al. Effects of tea intake on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Br J Nutr. 2014 Oct 14;112(7):1043-1054.
E3. Yarmolinsky J, Gon G, et al. Effect of tea on blood pressure for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr Rev. 2015 Apr;73(4):236-246.
F. High Cholesterol
F1. Wang D, Chen C, et al. Effect of black tea consumption on blood cholesterol: a meta-analysis of 15 randomized controlled trials. PLoS One. 2014 Sep 19;9(9):e107711.
F2. Zhao Y, Asimi S, et al. Black tea consumption and serum cholesterol concentration: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Nutr. 2015;34(4):612-619.
F3. Troup R, Hayes JH, et al. Effect of black tea intake on blood cholesterol concentrations in individuals with mild hypercholesterolemia: a diet-controlled randomized trial. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2015 Feb;115(2):264-71.e2.
G. Stroke
G1. Arab L, Liu W, et al. Green and black tea consumption and risk of stroke: a meta-analysis. Stroke. 2009;40(5):1786-1792.
Last reviewed July 2019 by EBSCO CAM Review Board Last Updated: 2/7/20