New studies confirm drinking tea daily can help improve your physical and mental well being. The study was presented by the world’s most renowned tea experts at the “3rd Tea Science Symposium: Focused Mind and Healthy Body – New Studies on Theanine and Tea Flavonoids” sponsored by the Lipton Institute of Tea.
New findings on the relationship between tea consumption and health were presented by international leaders in the field of tea research, and then discussed among tea experts, scientists, nutritionists and healthcare professionals who participated in the symposium held in Bangkok on 12 October 2009.
Symposium discussions and presentations explored three areas of health benefits associated with tea: positive psychological effects, enhanced cognitive performance and cardiovascular health.
Key findings presented at the 3rd Tea Science Symposium include:
Tea and positive psychological effects
Research presented by Dr. Georgie Russell from Unilever R&D and the Lipton Institute of Tea, confirms that mood can be measured. Further to this, the research shows that mood is positively impacted by drinking tea. The study, which focused on milk tea, showed that drinking tea is an effective strategy for improving mood.
Dr. Georgie Russell commented, “Our study shows that mood, always considered a subjective quality, can be measured effectively. This is an exciting development;
Russell continues, “Positively affecting our mood not only makes us feel good, but some emerging science suggests that it is also associated with benefits like increased creativity and support to our immune system. Mood enhancement is a tool for maintaining our well being.
Tea and enhanced cognitive performance
Studies have shown that drinking black tea can help focus your attention and improve subjective alertness. The detailed mechanism of this study was the focus of discussion.
New research presented by Dr. Eveline De-Bruin, on behalf of the Lipton Institute of Tea, at this year’s symposium showcased the mechanism behind this effect showing that after a high dose of theanine and caffeine, two actives naturally present in tea, brain attention networks are activated more efficiently. This brain activation allows better focus during tasks.
“This new study shows how the tea actives theanine and caffeine optimize activation of parts of brain responsible for attention. This allows us focus to complete tasks, we can concentrate harder.” Says Dr. Eveline De-Bruin.
Brain activity was measured using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) technology. fMRI is a way to measure brain activity via blood flow while subjects complete a task. The fMRI results in this study showed more efficient brain activity after high dose of tea.
Tea and increased cardio-vascular health
The latest study conducted at the University of L’Aquila in Italy, and supported by the Lipton Institute of Tea, demonstrated that drinking one cup of tea per day significantly improves vascular function. The research, is the first study to confirm black tea consumption does – depending on dose – deliver a notably better cardiovascular health profile by improving blood vessel reactivity.
Tea and stroke risk reduction
Dr. Lenore Arab, Professor at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, unveiled research confirming daily consumption of tea potentially lowers the risk of ischemic stroke by 21 per cent.
Strokes are the second most common cause of death globally. With up to 20 million strokes occurring annually, strokes are also a major cause of disability. Ischemic stroke, which happens when vessels become clogged, account for around 83 per cent of all stroke cases.
Dr. Arab said, “Our study discovered that the health benefits relate to black and green teas but not herbal teas.”
Dr. Sheila Wiseman, presenting on behalf of the Lipton Institute of Tea, supported this with interesting findings from another study, explaining that tea flavonoids help blood vessels to relax. The ability of blood vessels to dilate is critical for a healthy cardiovascular system. When blood vessels cannot relax properly, the risk of cardiovascular disease is increased. “According to our research and many studies, blood vessels relax shortly after consumption of tea and also when people drink tea over several weeks.”
Dr. Wiseman noted that the study also shows that only 100 mg per day of tea flavonoids, which is equivalent to less than a single up of tea per day, helps improve the elastic capacity of the blood vessels. This is the first study showing the positive impact of drinking tea on vascular function may be relevant for the majority of people in the world who drink only one or two cups of tea per day, rather than just being relevant for heavy tea drinkers.
Jane Rycroft, Category Nutrition Manager, Beverages, Unilever says, “Health benefits related to tea consumption have been the subject of extensive scientific research. Still there is a lot more to be explored and studied about tea. The annual tea science symposium serves as an opportunity for tea experts to share the new emerging science and to encourage debate as we build our understanding of the relevant role of tea to physical wellbeing.”
Tea is the second most consumed drink in the world after water, and is a major source of dietary flavonoid intake in Western countries and in the Middle and Far East.
