Which tea is most beneficial for the heart: green, black and other types

There are many myths about the properties and features of the effect on the cardiovascular system of such a drink as tea. Some believe that its infusion is extremely beneficial for health, while others claim the opposite: tea in large quantities can harm, especially the heart.

In fact, the truth is somewhere in between. Both green and black, and other teas can bring both great benefit and harm to the human heart. To make the most of all the beneficial properties of this drink, you just need to consume it correctly.

8 positive properties of green tea

This drink is obtained from the same raw materials, but not fermented, as ordinary black tea. Due to the absence of the oxidation process of the leaves, it has a special delicate taste, aroma and unusual properties.

1. Contains many useful substances. The substances contained in the leaves of the tea bush have a wide range of positive properties and contribute to the preservation of youth, beauty and strength: the product contains a lot of trace elements, without which the normal functioning of the heart and the circulatory system is impossible.
2. A lot of caffeine. Recent studies show that there is more caffeine in green tea than in black, despite the widespread opinion to the contrary.  Thanks to caffeine, the body receives a huge amount of energy. For this reason, it is advisable to drink it in the morning and afternoon without harm to the heart, but no more than two or three cups a day.
3. Prevention of heart attack. According to the latest medical research, the drink reduces the risk of myocardial infarction.
4. Promotes weight loss. Green tea helps to get rid of excess weight, which is so dangerous for the heart muscle and blood vessels. It is actively used in various anti-obesity diets and on fasting days: it activates metabolism, gives a very good diuretic effect and relieves edema.
5. Cleanses the vessels. With regular consumption, green tea helps to get rid of atherosclerosis, helps to get rid of cholesterol plaques and prevents the lumen of the arteries from narrowing, keeping them elastic. It also reduces the overall level of harmful cholesterol in the blood. The drink is a good means of preventing blood clots and reduces the risk of internal hemorrhages.
6. Lowers blood pressure. If you use it regularly and little by little, then the increased blood pressure decreases.
7. Improves mood. This drink is also considered a natural antidepressant: it supports not only physical strength, but also normalizes mental state. Cheerfulness is important for the cardiovascular system no less than minerals and vitamins. And in combination with milk, it calms the nervous system better without exhausting it.
8. Slows down aging. Being a powerful natural antioxidant, the drink helps to preserve the youthfulness of the heart and vascular system.

With all its positive properties, it is advisable to drink green tea regularly, but no more than 2-4 cups per day , and also avoid using this strong product in its merits during special periods:

• At a time of stress;
• At an extremely old age;
• In hypertensive crisis;
• In case of suspected heart attack;
• With a high body temperature.

Also watch the video:

The controversial influence of Black tea

In fact, black and green teas are almost the same drink.

But black is considered more gentle in its effect on the heart muscle, as it contains less caffeine and other substances. Although it is a common misconception that black tea contains more caffeine, in fact this is not the case. It has a milder effect on the entire body. But it is inferior to green in its anti-cholesterol effect.

Therefore, if green tea is beneficial for diseases of the vascular system, then black tea is better to drink for cardiac pathologies.

It is necessary to know about a number of other features of this drink.

1. Too strong infusion can cause tachycardia even in a healthy body. An increase in heart rate can cause problems with the heart and blood vessels, as a rule, in those people whose health is undermined by other diseases or bad habits (smoking, alcohol addiction).
2. Combination with sugar. When sugar is added, it increases blood pressure, and without it, it lowers it.
3. A not very strong drink can reduce fever and, as a result, to facilitate the work of the heart. A strong infusion increases the temperature and also increases the load on the heart muscle.
4. When used with milk, it has a more gentle effect on the nervous system and heart. However, some scientists believe that milk negates all the beneficial properties of the drink, especially the alleged antitumor effect of tea.. The truth is not easy to understand and it is probably worth listening to your body. But in any case, nutritionists advise lovers of tea with milk to periodically drink a drink without milk, and in old age to abandon it altogether and drink weak black tea.

See also:

• Top 9 fruits and vegetables useful for the cardiovascular system.
• Is it true that coffee has a positive effect on the heart?
• Sweet truth: dark chocolate is also needed by the heart!

6 recipes based on other medicinal herbs

For those who are afraid to harm their heart with the wrong approach to drinking tea, it is worth listening to the advice on the combination of its leaves with other beneficial plants .

Many medicinal herbs can be bought at a pharmacy and simply added to the leaves of a tea bush, you can make a complex collection yourself, or you can completely periodically replace traditional herbal tea.

1. Mate infusion.  Mate infusion is considered a more gentle energy drink, but not harmful to the heart. It is the national Argentine and Paraguayan drink. However, it has nothing to do with the tea bush. It looks like ordinary green tea, but it does not contain caffeine at all: another substance gives the body energy &8212; tannin.

In terms of usefulness for the cardiovascular system and the body as a whole, mate can compete with the tea familiar to a European. In European countries, it is customary to brew it more often not according to national recipes, but just like regular tea or add it to it.

2. Melissa, valerian, mint, motherwort. Are good on their own, and when added to tea brew, soothing herbs such as melissa, valerian, mint and motherwort. If you do not like the taste of herbs, it is better to use them in combination with other plants.

3. Other herbs. Herbs such as are sometimes added to loosely brewed black tea:

• Lily of the valley;
• Adonis;
• Lovebirds;
• Goritsvet;
• Sage;
• Horsetail;
• Dill;
• Chamomile pharmacy, etc.

4. From fruits, berries and rhizomes of some plants infusions are prepared that require slightly longer brewing time than the leaves. Therefore, it is better to insist them in a thermos or just wrapped in warmth. This is, for example:

• Hawthorn;
• Apricot;
• Chicory;
• Ginger root.

5. Leaves of trees and shrubs. Teas from the leaves of garden and forest trees and shrubs have a beneficial effect on the entire cardiovascular system. These are the leaves:

• Lingonberries;
• Birches;
• Raspberries;
• Currants, etc.

6. Fireweed. It is impossible not to mention also another useful plant, traditional for residents of the middle zone - ivan tea. Its leaf looks very similar to the leaf of a tea bush, it is also prepared according to the same principles: it is crushed or twisted, subjected (or not, &8212; which subsequently gives a drink very similar to ordinary green tea) to fermentation and dried.

This herb is also added to a regular tea leaf or brewed separately. It has a lot of properties useful for the heart and blood vessels, similar to the properties of black and green Chinese and Indian teas, excellent taste qualities and a bright aroma. It has practically no contraindications for cores.

Also check out this infographic:

Other foods needed by the heart

It is impossible to make a healthy diet for the core, relying only on varieties of teas. It is necessary to maintain health and help the body fight heart diseases and vascular problems systematically, purposefully, using the beneficial properties of all available products and avoiding what frankly harms the heart.

Regular consumption of:

1. Fresh fruits necessary for the heart can seriously support the health of the core , such as lemons , persimmon , grenades and bananas ;
2. Vegetables &8212; pumpkins , sweet pepper , onion and of garlic (with caution in case of tachycardia);
3. Garden and forest berries &8212; cranberries , grapes , viburnum (for hypertension &8212; required!), chokeberry;
4. Nuts , bitter chocolate and dried fruits &8212; dried apricots , raisins and prunes;
5. Low-fat dairy (in childhood) and dairy products;
6. Of oily sea fish types of mackerel, herring, salmon;
7. Such useful nutritional supplements as turmeric , flaxseed, vegetable unrefined oils , especially olive, soy, cedar;
8. High-quality natural red dry wines, natural freshly ground coffee, freshly squeezed juices, diluted in half with water.

Finally, take a look at the video:

Substances useful for the heart muscle are found in these products and in all types of teas. But the vessels and the heart are very demanding of proper nutrition. Therefore, in order to get the maximum benefit from such a medicinal plant as tea, you need to carefully choose the varieties, dosage and consume it in small quantities, but throughout your life.