Lapsang Souchong Health Benefits: The Chinese Super Tea
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Lapsang Souchong Health Benefits
Worldwide, tea is one of the most commonly consumed beverages. Its health-giving benefits are widely promoted. Nutritionists even advise us to incorporate this health-giving drink into our daily diets.
What we drink as well as what we eat contributes to our overall health and well-being. Therefore, in order to manage a healthier lifestyle, it’s important we know our stuff when it comes to liquid refreshments – including the Lapsang Souchong Health Benefits.
Why should I drink Lapsang Souchong?
This smoky black tea is rich in antioxidants. It offers many health-promoting benefits whilst enhancing the body’s natural resistance to infection and disease. Lapsang Souchong’s health benefits, together with its distinctive taste are due to its unique production technique. Its extraordinary, sophisticated flavor and full benefits can be experienced at any time of the day.
Some brews are believed to provide more health advantages than others. So let’s discover the Lapsang Souchong Health Benefits and its potential to be a regular robust infusion of choice.
What Is Lapsang Souchong?
Originating from the Wuyi Mountains in China, Lapsang Souchong is an aromatic smoky black tea. Its deeply mellow, woody undertones are quite distinctive and completely unique. Lapsang Souchong tea is made with the leaves of the Camellia Sinensis plant, like other black teas; but this is where the similarity ends.
Its identifying quality is created through the preparation of the leaves. They are laid in bamboo baskets and dried over smoking pine wood. The smoke permeates the tea leaves as they dry and infuses them with flavor.
The intensity of the smoke aroma is altered depending on the location of the leaves from the heat source and the duration of the whole process.
Legend has it that Lapsang Souchong was discovered by accident. It is believed that a traveling army spent the night in a tea factory preventing the workers from accessing the unprocessed tea leaves. When the army left, the workers were short on time to dry the leaves. To speed up oxidation they were smoked over pinewood fires and as a result, a new smoked tea was created.
☝️One of my favorite teas, soothing and peaceful☝️
What Are The Main Health Benefits Of Lapsang Souchong?
Research suggests that Lapsang Souchong can help to improve life in small yet significant ways. Its calmative properties are said to benefit the mind, body, and soul.
This distinctive black tea attributes its health-giving benefits to a wealth of vitamins, minerals, and other powerful antioxidants. These substances support disease prevention by protecting against cell damage caused by free radicals.
Free radicals can cause oxidative stress, which is believed to play a role in a variety of diseases. They are waste substances produced by cells when your body converts food into energy, generated during exercise or from exposure to a variety of environmental sources. Antioxidants have been shown to impede oxidative stress.
Free radicals are damaging but they are an inescapable part of life. This is why we need enough antioxidants to disarm them. Our bodies naturally produce some antioxidants however we also benefit through our lifestyle choices.
Many modern medicines have their roots in herbology, with teas and infusions used for healing since ancient times. Lapsang Souchong shares many health benefits with other tea types, but its unique oxidation process and smokey characteristics make it a great choice for any tea drinker. So how exactly do we benefit from its consumption?
1. Immune System Health
Lapsang Souchong can help to support the immune system with its high antioxidant activity. This black tea is rich in polyphenols, including theaflavins, thearubigins, and catechins. These properties can give our immune system a great boost. By neutralizing free radical production they help to prevent or delay some types of cell damage, speed up our recovery process from illness, and help to combat viruses.
2. Cardiovascular Health
Studies show that drinking Lapsang Souchong, with its range of healthy chemical compounds, can help to reduce the risk of heart disease. Increasing blood flow, reducing the amount of bad cholesterol in the body, and regulating blood pressure – with its natural antioxidant activity, it can lead to greater cardiovascular health.
3. Digestive Health
Lapsang Souchong is believed to relieve digestive issues. Its polyphenols and flavonoids are thought to offer some gastric mucosa protection against inflammation. It may also help to inhibit bacterial growth that can lead to ulcers.
4. Weight Loss
Antioxidants combined with the tea’s caffeine content can boost metabolism. This enables the body to burn fat more efficiently. Lapsang Souchong is a naturally calorie-free drink. So simply changing any high-calorie drinks for this low-calorie alternative, will help you to lose weight faster as part of a healthy diet and exercise program.
5. Cancer Prevention
The possibility of any tea, including Lapsang Souchong, playing a part in reducing the risks of certain cancers developing, has limited findings. Some evidence suggests, that its antioxidants may have something to do with this ability, however, the results of human studies have been mainly inconclusive. But tea can soothe the nerves, lessen anxiety and as part of a healthy diet, its antioxidants can have an overall beneficial and calming effect on the body.
6. Skin Health
Lapsang Souchong has a part to play in our skincare. Its potent antioxidant qualities together with its health-promoting catechins can help to nourish and boost the rejuvenation of skin cells. It has even been suggested that its properties may help to prevent skin infections and also be attributed to anti-aging benefits.
7. Increased Energy
Lower in caffeine than other black teas, Lapsang Souchong still contains enough caffeine to kick-start your morning. Its healthy compounds ensure you get a long-lasting energy boost throughout the day.
8. Brain Health
Past evidence has shown that regular tea drinking can lead to mood improvement and a reduced risk of cognitive decline in older people.
9. Oral Health
Black tea may boost oral health. Compounds found in Lapsang Souchong can kill or suppress bacteria that can lead to cavities and help to prevent the formation of plaque.
TOP TIP: Not only does tea hydrate, but it also imparts many healthy nutrients.
Inflammation is thought to be at the root of many modern diseases. The antioxidants and compounds of this smoky brew may be able to help combat this by stabilizing the body and improving overall health.
Its immune-boosting properties can help to reduce stress which disrupts our sleep and affects our blood sugar levels. This can lead to weight gain and unhealthy levels of body fat.
Its benefits work in multiple ways to support our physical and mental health so it seems to be worth giving it a try to reap its numerous qualities. So the next question is;
Are There Any Negative Side Effects To Drinking Lapsang Souchong Tea?
There is much to celebrate about this tea but alas its benefits don’t apply to everyone. Lapsang Souchong like all black teas contains the stimulating compound caffeine. If you are an individual who is sensitive to its effects, then caution is advised if you are considering its consumption. Its side effects can include:
- Irritability
- Tremors
- Irregular heartbeat
- Insomnia
- Headache
- Increased urination
- Nausea & vomiting
Overdoing caffeine can also irritate the digestive tract as it increases the production of stomach acid. This can lead to heartburn in some, raise blood pressure and cause changes in bowel habits. Green tea or some herbal tea is a great alternative if you’re looking for a lower caffeine option.
Black tea can also negatively affect the color of your teeth. Not all tea stains the teeth, but because of its rich stain-promoting tannins, black tea does.
Top Tip: To reduce the caffeine content of Lapsang Tea you can always reduce the brewing time.
Conclusion
Lapsang Souchong shares many tea health benefits with other black teas but its rich flavor and wonderful aromas of woodsmoke and pine resin are totally unique. The piney fragrance makes it an ideal brew for those who love roasted, warm flavors.
Drinking tea is always a great way to unwind! Taken in moderation, Lapsang Souchong may be quite appealing with its countless health benefits and bold flavors. A great winter warmer with a nutritional value that certainly makes it worth a try. At the very least it will be a memorable experience.
FAQs
Is Lapsang Souchong good for you?
Lapsang Souchong is a great antioxidant with numerous health benefits that also offers a completely different take on black tea.
Is Lapsang Souchong high in caffeine?
Like most black teas, Lapsang Souchong contains some caffeine. However, since its leaves are usually larger and more mature this results in lower levels of caffeine in your brew. Just be mindful to monitor your levels of tea consumption and caffeine intake.
Does Lapsang Souchong help you to relax?
Drinking this Chinese black tea is a great way to unwind. It has less caffeine than coffee but if you are sensitive to it, be sure to limit your intake.
Which is the best Lapsang Souchong tea to buy?
My personal preference and the one I always recommend to friends new to this smoky flavor is the Twinings of London Lapsang Souchong Black Tea Bags.
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