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Tea, a healthy beverage choice ! Most people drink tea on a daily basis and as a nation we get through 165 million cups a day – but did you know that you get health benefits from drinking just four cups of tea a day? A number of research studies conducted over the past few years have suggested a range of associations between health and drinking everyday tea. As well as contributing towards your daily fluid requirement, drinking tea as part of a healthy diet may help in maintaining a healthy heart. Recent research has shown that tea is a good source of flavonoids – a group of compounds that have powerful antioxidant properties. The flavonoids in tea are soluble in water, so are present in the tea you drink.  And for the majority of people there is no need to worry about caffeine: the amount contained in the typical daily intake of tea for an adult does not present a problem – in fact it can have benefits.
Guys, let’s talk tough for a sec.   Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer among men in the United States. On top of that, it is the second most common cause of cancer death, only after lung cancer. Symptoms don’t usually come until the cancer has already significantly progressed, by which time many complications can have occurred. However, a study recently released by Japan’s National Cancer Center shows that drinking green tea may significantly cut the risk of prostate cancer. In fact, the study of nearly 50,000 Japanese men aged 40-69 found that those who drank five or more cups of green tea a day reduced their risk of having progressive prostate cancer by half. Half. While the study isn’t 100% conclusive, it shows that there is hope. Fellas, it just makes sense to infuse tea into your daily diet. That, on top of regular check-ups and a healthy lifestyle, means that we’ll be around a long time to enjoy all the benefits of, well, having a prostate (… if you know what I mean).
Tea Advisory Panel - e-bulletin April 2008 - 25 Apr 2008The Tea Advisory Panel has been created to provide media with impartial information regarding the health benefits of tea. Panel members include nutritionists; dieticians and doctors. Â
This e-bulletin is the first of many extended information bi-monthly feature bulletins focusing on the health benefits of black tea to be published. For further information please call 0207 7058989.
This edition focuses on Tea and hydration. Please click on the link below to download the document.
Download - (337.5 Kb) Black tea could lower risk of Parkinson's disease - 14 Mar 2008Drinking black tea regularly could reduce the risk of developing Parkinson's disease, concluded a study1.Commenting on the study, Dr Ann Walker, a member of The Tea Advisory Panel (TAP) notes: "This was a large, prospective study, involving 63,257 Chinese men and women, aged 45 to 74, living in Singapore. Those who drank more than 23 cups of black tea each month were 71per cent less likely to contract the disease. As a result, this latest research study is great news for all UK ‘black tea’ drinkers. In the past there seems to have been more of a focus by scientists reviewing the health benefits of green tea." "In the UK, one in 500 people, i.e., around 120,000 individuals have Parkinson's. About 10,000 people in the UK are diagnosed each year2."Three case-control studies in the US3, Hong Kong4 and Singapore5 and a cohort study of male health professionals in the US6 have reported an inverse association between tea drinking and Parkinson's disease risk, but differences in benefit between black tea and green tea were not investigated in these studies." Dr Walker continues: "The authors of these previous four studies attributed the protective effect of tea, at least in part, to its caffeine content. In the current study, however, the beneficial effect of black tea did not appear to be influenced by caffeine intake, indicating that ingredients other than caffeine are responsible for black tea's protective effects. "A key difference between black tea and green tea lies in the types and amounts of flavonoids. Green teas contain more of the simple flavonoids called catechins. But when black tea is made, the catechins undergo oxidation resulting in the generation of more complex varieties, called thearubigins and theaflavins."In conclusion Dr Walker notes: "The underlying mechanisms for this protective effect of black tea on Parkinson's disease remains unclear until further research is done. But drinking even one cup of black tea per day could help to reduce the risk of Parkinson's disease." Taken from the website of the YMAA Yerba Mate Association of the Americas Research – Age-old wisdom about tea is now being taken seriously by mainstream researchers. Funding for studies has come from groups such as the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Health. Tufts University, the University of Arizona, the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Columbia University, Case Western Reserve University, the University of Kansas, Indiana University School of Medicine, Rutgers University, the USDA, and others are now studying tea and health. Whether you drink tea because you like it or for health, you might be interested in some of the current research findings and trends. Polyphenols– Experts believe that the health benefits of tea come mainly from polyphenols, natural compounds found in green tea, and black tea at lower levels. Among the polyphenols are water-soluble antioxidants which have antiviral, antibacterial, and anticancer properties. According to the USDA the antioxidant activity of tea is more potent than that found in 22 fruits and vegetables including orange juice, carrots, and broccoli. Cancer – Some polyphenols act as powerful antioxidants which combat damage from "free radicals" and make DNA more resistant to mutation. This prevents some cancers from forming and inhibits the growth of some tumors already in existence. Green tea shows special promise against cancers of the skin, lymph, mouth, stomach, esophagus, liver, bladder, colon, prostate, and lung. Immune Booster – Tea may also enhance immune system components including "B" cells, "T" cells, and "killer" cells. Heart Disease and Stroke – Studies show that tea can lower fatty deposits in artery walls, decrease blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, lower blood pressure, and reduce the clotting tendency of blood. Digestion – Tea is thought to encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract, stimulate digestive juices, break down dietary fats, and help control levels of glucose in the blood stream Cavity Fighter – Tea inhibits the growth of bacteria in the mouth associated with plaque formation, is an excellent source of fluoride, and can be used as a mouth rinse.
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