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Could
tea be a health drink?
February 17, 05
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
It may come as no surprise to Southerners: After water, the
most popular beverage in the world is tea.
We’ve been drinking tea for a couple hundred years in
the South, but the tradition of tea-drinking goes back several
thousands of years in China and India, where it was believed
to support health. It’s only been recently, however,
that tea – especially green tea – has gained popularity
for health reasons in the U.S.
Here’s what we know and what we don’t:
Like many plants, tea leaves contain flavonoids, antioxidants
that may reduce damage that occurs naturally to the body’s
cells over time. Tea – especially green tea –
is rich in a group of simple flavonoids called catechins,
which some research has linked to lower rates of heart disease
and some forms of cancer.
There are three main types of nonherbal tea: Green, black,
and oolong. According to the Agricultural Research Service
– the research arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
– about 75 percent of the tea we drink in the U.S. is
black tea, about 23 percent is green, and the remaining 2
percent is oolong.
The three types of tea are made from the same plant. The difference
is in the processing.
When tea leaves are picked fresh, they’re green. They
get rolled, dried, and heated, then leaves are exposed to
air in a process called fermenting. The length of time leaves
are fermented – allowed to oxidize - determines the
flavor and color of the tea.
Green tea is the least processed, so it makes a pale, yellowish
tea and contains the most catechins. Black tea is fermented
longest, so leaves – and tea – are dark. Black
tea has the least catechins but it contains more complex varieties
of flavonoids – thearubigins and theaflavins –
than green tea. Oolong tea falls between green and black in
fermentation time and flavonoid content.
Science is only beginning to understand the ways in which
tea drinking may affect health.
Researchers, for example, are investigating the possibility
that green and oolong teas may help control weight by stimulating
the body to burn fat, as well as examining associations between
tea-drinking and lower blood pressure and blood lipid levels
and denser bones. These and other potential benefits of tea-drinking
have not been confirmed, though. Most of the preliminary research
has been confined to the laboratory, and findings from human
studies have been inconsistent.
If you drink tea, here are a few pointers to consider:
* Tea leaves should steep in hot water for about five minutes
to allow time for most of the catechins to leach out into
the tea before serving.
* Freshly brewed tea has substantially more flavonoids than
decaffeinated, instant, or bottled tea.
* Too much tea can inhibit the body’s absorption of
iron from meals. Counteract this effect by drinking tea between,
rather than with, meals. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron,
so include good sources of vitamin C – tomatoes, citrus
fruits, cabbage, and potatoes – with meals as well.
Up to three cups of tea per day is a reasonable intake for
tea-lovers.
* Add a squeeze of lemon juice to tea for flavor and vitamin
C, or add a couple tablespoons of milk. A teaspoon of sugar
or honey isn’t a problem for most people, either, though,
in general, it’s best to limit your overall consumption
of added sugars.
Tea as a health drink? It’s too soon to say. Moderate
consumption of freshly brewed tea, though, isn’t likely
to hurt – and might even be good for you.
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