Smaller Waistlines, Sharper Minds, Stronger Bones and Healthier Hearts
New findings released at 5th International Scientific Symposium on Tea & Human Health September 19, 2012 finds Tea to have preventative health benefits including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, including stroke and heart attack.
TORONTO, Sept. 19, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading nutrition scientists from around the world convened in Washington, DC today at the United States Department of Agriculture to present the latest research supporting the role of tea in benefiting and promoting better health.
As Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world, next to water, interest in its potential health benefits has grown exponentially. In just the past five years alone there have been more than 5,600 scientific studies on tea, forming a substantial body of research on this world wide consumed beverage.
"There is now an overwhelming body of research from around the world indicating that drinking tea benefits human health," says Dr. Carol Greenwood, who is a Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto and a Senior Scientist at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest, in attendance at today's press conference and research presentations in Washington with Louise Roberge, President of the Tea Association of Canada.
Dr. Greenwood, an expert on the relationship between diet, nutrition and brain health, went on to say "the compounds in tea appear to impact virtually every cell in the body in a positive health outcome, which is why the consensus emerging from this symposium is that drinking at least a cup of clear green, black, white or oolong tea a day can contribute significantly to the promotion of public health."
Of particular interest to Dr Greenwood and the medical community was the numerous heart health studies presented that Tea supports heart health and healthy blood pressure, and appears to be associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, including stroke and heart attack.
New research presented by Claudio Ferri, MD, University L'Aquila, Italy, found in 19 normotensive and 19 hypertensive individuals that black tea was able to reduce blood pressure. In the hypertensive patients, black tea appeared to counteract the negative effects of a high-fat meal on blood pressure and arterial blood flow. Hypertensive subjects were instructed to drink a cup of tea after a meal that contained .45 grams fat/lb. body weight. The results suggest that tea prevented the reduction in flow mediated dilation (FMD), the arterial ability to increase blood flow that occurs after a high-fat meal. In a previous study conducted by Ferri, tea improved FMD from 7.8 to 10.3%, and reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure by -2.6 and -2.2 mmHg, respectively, in study participants.
Also of interest among the findings is research suggesting that green tea and caffeine may trigger energy expenditure that may promote weight loss. Another study illustrates how tea may help counter the adverse effects of high-fat foods on blood vessels, which could possibly reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, the most common cause of death in the North America.
Tea and Body Weight
Obesity is the largest public health concern in North America and there are few strategies that provide long-term success. New research on tea catechins suggests that they may provide a benefit in maintaining body weight or promoting weight loss.
Tea and Bone and Muscle Strength
Osteoporosis is a major public health concern for many older women and men as the disease is responsible for two million fractures a year and 300,000 hip fractures in 2005. The disease leads to loss of mobility, independence and reduces quality of life for many older Americans.
Researchers at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center conducted studies with 150 postmenopausal women with low bone mass to see if the addition of green tea flavanols , Tai Chi exercise or both green tea plus Tai Chi could help improve markers for bone health and muscle strength in study participants. At the end of the six-month clinical trial they found that 500 mg green tea extract (equivalent to 4-6 cups of green tea daily), alone or in combination with Tai Chi, improved markers for bone formation, reduced markers of inflammation and increased muscle strength in study participants.
Tea May Improve Mental Sharpness
Consuming black tea improved attention and self-reported alertness in a human study conducted by Unilever R&D, Vlaardingen, The Netherlands. In this placebo-controlled study, designed to measure attention, task performance and alertness, subjects drinking tea were more accurate on an attention task and also felt more alert than subjects drinking a placebo. This work supports earlier studies on the mental benefits of tea. In addition, two other studies provide a broader perspective on tea's effects on psychological well-being, showing benefits for tiredness and self-reported work performance, as well as mood and creative problem solving. These studies provide support for tea's benefits for mental sharpness, as measured by attention, mood and performance.
Bioactive Compounds in Tea
Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, and it is one of the most thoroughly researched for its potential health benefits. The leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant contain thousands of bioactive compounds that have been identified, quantified and studied for their mechanisms of action. While many of these compounds act as antioxidant flavonoids, not all of tea's benefits are thought to be solely from antioxidant activity.
For example, new research presented by Alan Crozier, PhD, of the University of Glasgow, UK, revealed that while many tea flavonoids in green and black tea are digested and absorbed, others are more resistant to digestion and travel mostly intact to the lower gastrointestinal tract, where they provide a probiotic effect by enabling beneficial bacteria to thrive.
Tea Provides Profound Health Benefits
The latest data provide further evidence of tea's potential role in promoting good health, perhaps due to the fact that tea flavonoids are the major contributors of total flavonoid intake in the U.S. diet:
- Tea drinking may play a role in helping to prevent cells from becoming cancerous;
- Tea may play a role in enhancing the effect of chemotherapy drugs used for treating certain cancers; and
- Flavonoids in tea, among other compounds present in tea leaves, may help ward off inflammation and vascular damage linked to chronic conditions associated with aging.
"As the second most consumed beverage in the world next to water, tea accounts for a significant amount of the flavanol intake worldwide," states Joe Simrany, President, Tea Council of the USA, which has been spear-heading this International Tea & Human Health Symposium since 1991. "This gathering of renowned global nutrition scientists is the world's leading platform to release new research on tea, and acts as a catalyst for continuing research on tea in areas as diverse and novel as cognitive function, bone growth, weight management, cancer and vascular function."
Complete studies and abstracts are posted to the Tea Association of Canada website at www.tea.ca
The symposium was sponsored by American Cancer Society, American Institute for Cancer Research, American Society for Nutrition, American College of Nutrition, The Linus Pauling Institute, American Medical Women's Association, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Tea Council of the USA.
ABOUT THE TEA ASSOCIATION OF CANADA
The Tea Association of Canada is a not-for-profit association representing the entire tea industry in Canada from the bush to the cup. Members consist of producing countries, importers, packers, allied trade, retailers, educators and certified Tea Sommeliers and is the leading authority and industry voice on all things tea in Canada.
Contact Information
Skype and phone
Canadian doctor, Carol Greenwood is available by Skype while in Washington at the symposium by calling or texting her cell at 416-460-4475. Her Skype name is: carol_klaru
Louse Roberge, President of the Tea Association of Canada is available throughout the conference by calling or texting her cell at 416-723-7384, Her Skype name is lougemini
Live Blog http://canadatea.wordpress.com/
Further information Tea Association of Canada www.tea.ca 416-510-8647
Contact information:
Cate Simpson, Simpson Public Relations simpsoncpr@telus.net 604-730-9626 cell 604-719-8953
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