Black tea is made from the fermented leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. These dried leaves and leaf buds are also used to make green and oolong teas.
Black tea contains 2% to 4% caffeine, which affects thinking and alertness. It also contains antioxidants and other substances that might help protect the heart and blood vessels. It has different properties than green tea, which is made from the fresh leaves of the same plant.
People use black tea for improving mental alertness. It is also used for headache, both low and high blood pressure, preventing Parkinson disease, depression, dementia, stroke, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support many of these uses.
Don't confuse black tea with other caffeine sources, including coffee, oolong tea, and green tea. These are not the same.
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