A lot has been said about the health benefits of green tea, but a new study published in the online journal suggests that black is, well, the new black.
Researchers conducted a mathematical analysis of data from 50 countries across six continents and found that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is low in countries where consumption of black tea is high.
The fermentation process that turns green tea black induces a range of complex flavonoids, including theaflavins and thearubigins, to which several potential health benefits have been attributed.
The researchers analysed information on black tea consumption based on 2009 sales data collected by an independent specialist market research company.
They also analysed World Health Organisation data for those same countries on the prevalence of respiratory, infectious and cardiovascular diseases, as well as cancer and diabetes.
Ireland topped the league table for black tea drinkers, at more than 2kg per year per person, closely followed by Britain and Turkey. At the bottom of the table were South Korea, Brazil, China, Morocco and Mexico, with very low consumption.
