Discover the tea drinking habits of people all over the world and learn about the healthy benefits of drinking tea.

Tea and Appearance

Tea, when drunk on its own, without milk or sugar, not only tastes great but contains virtually no calories. This means that tea is an excellent accompaniment to a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle, or to weight maintenance programmes. Which is great news! But the benefits of the leaf don t stop there.

What if you could take a 5-minute beauty break that would help with your weight-maintenance programme. Well, you can. Tea can do that.

Tea and Body fat

Regular tea contains caffeine, which has been shown to increase energy expenditure. Tea, given its extremely low calorie content, is an ideal choice for a weight control plan that is part of a healthy lifestyle, especially when substituted for other sugar sweetened beverages.

Show References

References

Cabrera, C.; Artacho, R.; Gimenez, R. Beneficial effects of green tea--a review. J Am Coll Nutr 2006, 25, 79-99.

Tea and Physical Performance

The reviving qualities of tea are backed up by many scientific studies.

Tea stimulates the nervous system and gives the body a gentle physical boost. This effect is thought to be driven by the caffeine the tea contains.

Intakes of 2.1mg/kg caffeine (corresponding to about 147 mg caffeine for a 70 kg person), ingested prior to prolonged exercise delays fatigue. This level of caffeine can be achieved with consumption of approximately 3 cups of tea.

Tea and Fluid balance

Drinking tea helps contribute to the level of fluid your body needs every day. The fact that tea contains caffeine has not been found to negatively affect the fluid levels of people who drink tea in moderation.

Show References

References

Quinlan PT, Lane J, Moore KL, Aspen J, Rycroft JA, O'Brien DC. “The acute physiological and mood effects of tea and coffee: the role of caffeine level”. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2000;66(1):19-28
Berglund B & Hemmingsson P. “Effects of caffeine ingestion on exercise performance at low and high altitudes in cross country skiers”. Int J Sports Med 1982;3:234-6
Costill DL, Dalsky GP, Fink WJ. “Effects of caffeine ingestion on metabolism and exercise performance”. Med Sci Sports 1978;10:155-8
Ferrauti A, Weber K, Struder HK. “Metabolic and ergogenic effects of carbohydrate and caffeine beverages in tennis”. J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 1997;37(4):258-66
Pasman WJ, van Baak MA, Jeukendrup AE, de Haan A. “The effect of different dosages of caffeine on endurance performance time”. Int J Sports Med 1995;16(4):225-30
Kovacs EMR, Stegen JHCH, Brouns F. Effect of caffeinated drinks on substrate metabolism, caffeine excretion and performance. Journal of Applied Physiology, 1998, 85, 709-715.
Cadarette et al ‘ Effects of varied doses of caffeine on endurance exercise to fatigue’. Biochem Exercise, 1983; 13,871
Maughan and Griffin (2003). Caffeine ingestion and fluid balance: a review. J Hum Nutr Dietet, 16, 411-420.

Tea and Heart Health

A heart healthy diet typically contains flavonoid rich foods. Studies have also shown that tea, the amount you enjoy in 3 cups can improve blood vessel function. Research suggests that flavonoids in tea may promote good heart health by improving blood vessel function.

Show References

References

Duffy SJ, Keaney Jr.JF, Holbrook M, Noyan Gokce N, Swerdloff PL, Frei B, Vita JA. Short- and long-term black tea consumption reverses endothelial dysfunction in patients with coronary artery disease. Circulation 2001; 104: 151-156.
Hirata K, Shimada K, Watanabe H, Otsuka R, Tokai K, Yoshiyama M, Homma S, Yoshikawa M. Black tea increases Coronary Flow Velocity Reserve in healthy male subjects. Am, J. Cardiol. 2004; 93: 1384-1388.
Hodgson JM, Burke V, Puddey IB. Acute effects of tea on fasting and postprandial vascular function and blood pressure in humans. J Hypertens. 2005; 23: 47-54.
Hodgson JM. Effects of tea and tea flavonoids on endothelial function and blood pressure: a brief review. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2006; 33: 838-841
Hodgson, J.M., Puddy, I.B., Burke, V., Watts, G.F., Beilin, L.J. Regular ingestion of black tea improves brachial artery vasodilator function. Clinical Sc. 2002; 102: 195-201
Lorenz M, Jochmann N, von Krosigk A, Martus P, Baumann G, Stangl K, Stangl V. Addition of milk prevents vascular protective effects of tea. Eur. Heart J. 2007; 28: 219-223.
Nagaya N, Yamamoto H, Uematsu M, Itoh T, Nakagawa K, Miyazawa T, Kangawa K, Miyatake K. Green tea reverses endothelial dysfunction in healthy smokers. Heart 2004; 90: 1485-1486.
Kim W, Jeong MH, Cho SH, Yun JH, Chae HJ, Ahn YK, Lee MC, Cheng X, Kondo T, Murohara T, Kang JC. Effect of green tea consumption on endothelial function and circulating endothelial progenitor cells in chronic smokers. Circ. J. 2006; 70: 1052-1057.

Hydration

A healthy adult should try to drink around 8 cups of fluid every day. That's about 2 litres. Did you know 2 or 3 cups of tea a day can contribute to your daily fluid needs? Unsweetened tea brings you the purifying effect of water, which helps remove toxins from the body.

Myth vs Truth

Some people think tea, or other drinks containing caffeine, have a diuretic effect (make you pass water more often) which would lower your body’s hydration level. However, scientists have looked at how drinking caffeine affects fluid balance and found that only if you have a very large amount of caffeine in a single serving (equivalent to the amount found in 5-8 cups of tea) more water is passed out of the body than consumed. If you have single servings of caffeine (at the levels you find in a cup of tea) it has little or no effect. Regular caffeine users become habituated to the effects of caffeine, diminishing its action.

Show References

References

Armstrong LE, Pumerantz AC, Roti MW, Judelson DA, Watson G, Dias JC, Sokmen B, Casa DJ, Maresh CM, Lieberman H, Kellogg M. Fluid, electrolyte, and renal indices of hydration during 11 days od controlled caffeine consumption. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 15 (3), 252-65.
Armstrong LE (2002). Caffeine, body fluid-electrolyte balance, and exercise performance. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 12, 189-206.
Fiala KA, Casa DJ, Roti MW. Rehydration with a caffeinated beverage during the nonexercise periods of 3 consecutive days of 2-a-day practices. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab, 14 (4), 419-29.
Maughan and Griffin (2003). Caffeine ingestion and fluid balance: a review. J Hum Nutr Dietet, 16, 411-420.
Neuhauser-Berthold, Beine S, Verwied SC, Luhrmann PM (1997). Coffee consumption and total body water homeostasis as measured bu fluid balance and bioelectrical impedance analysis. Ann Nutr Metab, 41 (1), 29-36.
Nussberger J, Mooser V, Maridor G, Juillerat L, Waeber B, Brunner HR (1990). Caffeine-induced diuresis and atrial natriuretic peptides. J cardiovascusc Pharmacol, 15(5), 685-91.
Passmore AP, Kondowe GB, Johnston GD (1987). Renal and cardiovascular effects of caffeine: a dose response study. Clin Sci (lond), 72 (6), 749-56.
Popkin BM, Armstrong LE, Bray GM, Caballero B, Frei B, Willett WC, (2006). A new proposed guidance system for beverage consumption in the United States. Am J Clin Nutr, 83, 529-542.
Riesenhuber A, Boehm M, Posch M, Aufricht C (2006). Diuretic potential of energy drinks. Amino Acids, 31 (1), 81-3.
Robertson D, Frolich JC, Carr RK, Watson JT, Hollifield JW, Shand DG, Oates JA (1978). Effects of caffeine on plasma rennin activity, catecholamines and blood pressure. N Engl J Med, 298 (4), 181-6.
Scott D, Rycroft JA, Aspen J, Chapman C, Brown B (2004). The effect of drinking tea at high altitude on hydration status and mood. Eur J Appl Physiol, 91, 493-498.
Wemple RD, Lamb DR, McKeever KH (1997). Caffeine vs caffeine-free sport drinks: effects on urine production at rest and during prolonged exercise. Int J Sports Med, 18 (1), 40-6.

Tea Blends

Jasmine Jasmine Tea is made from Green Tea leaves that are scented with jasmine flowers.
Earl Grey Earl Grey Tea is a Black Tea scented with bergamot oil. The oil of the bergamot orange is mixed with Black Tea to give Earl Grey Tea it’s characteristic flavour.
English Breakfast English Breakfast Tea is an extremely popular tea with a bold, robust taste. It is generally a strong, full bodied blend of North Indian, Kenyan and other choice teas.
Fruit Tea Fruit Teas are Black or Green Teas flavoured with a natural essence of fruit.
Herbal Infusion Herbal Infusions can be made from seeds, berries, flowers, bark and roots of the herb.
Rooibos Rooibos or African Red Tea is a red coloured tea-like herbal infusion. It is prepared from the leaves of Aspalathus Linearis, a low-growing bush native to South Africa.

Types of Tea

Black It is the most common type of tea in the Western World. Popular blends include Ceylon and Darjeeling.
White White Tea is a selection of the youngest buds and is the least processed of all teas. Mellow, delicate, subtle.
Green This is an unfermented tea where the oxidation process has been stopped by the application of heat. It is pale in colour and has a light, astringent taste. ‘Gunpowder Tea’ is a strong, earthy Green Tea from China.
Oolong This sits somewhere between the Green and Black Teas in that it is partly fermented. It has a distinctively coppery red colour and a delicate flavour which is often sweet and fruity.