Study: The benefits of drinking tea
Copyright 1998 United Press International
September 12, 1998
Dozens of scientists, who not only drink tea but study the health benefits of
one of the world's most popular beverages, have come to Washington from around
the globe to attend the Second International Scientific Symposium on Tea and
Human Health, which starts Monday. Researchers plan to present studies
showing that tea contains important chemicals that may be useful in fighting
heart disease and some forms of
cancer. The meeting is being sponsored by the American
Cancer Society, the American Health Foundation, the Nutrition Committee of the
American Heart Association and the Tea Council of the USA. Among many studies,
Wong-Ho Chow of the National
Cancer Institute in Rockville, Md., will present findings indicating that tea and tea
compounds inhibit carcinogenic processes in animals. This raises the
possibility, Chow said, that tea drinking may lower the
risk of cancer in humans. Beverly Clevidence,
a scientist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said she plans to discuss
studies suggesting tea can have beneficial health effects. However, she
stressed in a statement that "it is critical that well-controlled scientific
studies be conducted to identify how much of which classes of foods are needed
to provide protection from
chronic diseases." According to a study published in the journal
Carcinogenesis, both black and green teas may inhibit the spontaneous formation
of lung tumors in mice. Dr. Chung Yang of Rutgers University said both black
and green teas contain important phytochemicals that may
reduce
cancer risk.
Phytochemicals known as flavonoids and polyphenols function as antioxidants to
neutralize free radicals -- agents that damage the body's cell membranes and
genetic material. According to research to be presented by Jeffrey Blumberg
and colleagues from Tufts University near Boston, some studies have suggested,
though not proven, that agents in
tea may provide "protective action against certain types of
cancer." In another study, researchers from the Netherlands will contend that green
and black tea beverages may reduce the
risk of coronary heart disease. Other presentations will be made by Dr. John
Weisburger of the American
Health Foundation, who will offer evidence that tea may rival some vegetables
in antioxidant power; Dr. Junshi Chen of the Chinese Academy of Preventive
Medicine, plans to discuss animal studies that have shown tea's positive
effects, and Dr. Gary Beecher of the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
will discuss flavonoids and their possible beneficial effects. Flavonoids are
believed to be partially responsible for the health benefits attributed to
oranges, broccoli, wines and a number of other food plants in the human diet.
Tea is grown in more than 30 countries, and there are three basic types --
black
tea, green tea and oolong tea. Black tea accounts for 77 percent of the world's
tea manufacture, while green tea approximately 21 percent and oolong tea about
2 percent. Americans drink more than 50 million servings of tea annually, or
2.2 billion
gallons -- enough to fill about 160,000 backyard swimming pools. Ninety-four
percent of tea consumed in the United States is black, 4 percent green, 1
percent oolong and 1 percent flavored. About 130 million Americans have at
least a glass of tea a day.
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