| India: Drink Tea, Keep Healthy |
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NEW DELHI, March 6 (Bernama) -- Tea - Drinking how much is too much? The question has for long baffled tea lovers but experts say six to 10 cups per day can help in lowering the risk of a number of chronic diseases.
"Six to ten cups per day may be a useful dietary habit to assist in lowering the risk of a number of chronic diseases, especially as part of a health promoting nutritional diet, low in total fat and salt, with adequate vegetables and fruits, bran cereal insoluble fibre and sources of soluble fibre," Press Trust of India (PTI) quoted Dr N Ghosh Hajra, Project Director, Darjeeling Tea Research and Development Centre in his book "Tea and Health - Science behind the myths" as saying.
"Total fluid intake in adults might be about 2.5 litres, of which tea can contribute 0.7 to 1.4 litres," says Dr Hajra.
Nearly 650 ml of tea provides over half of the total requirement of dietary flanonoids; nearly 16 percent of the daily requirement of calcium; almost 10 percent of the daily requirement of zinc, over 10 percent of folic acid need; besides other nutrients, says the book.
The inhibitory action of components of black and green teas against cancer initiation has been demonstrated in different animal models involving different organ sites in many laboratories. Black tea has also been shown to inhibit tumerogenesis in lung, colon and skin, says the book.
Concern regarding caffeine in tea is not an issue as long as tea is consumed in moderation as suggested by Canadian and other health authorities, it says. The book offers a comprehensive review of major health benefits of tea consumption including the anti-oxidative action of tea catechins and polyphenols and projects tea as a health drink.
"Tea is a great drink for modern lives; regardless of how one drinks, green, black with milk, lemon, sugar or spice - it is still a best bet."
"Tea is known the world over as a soothing drink and a way of life... more than 3000 different teas are produced around the world," says the book and opens up the world of this wonderful beverage, including its manufacturing process to the common man.
Tea has always come with a positive health message ever since the Chinese started drinking it, says Dr Hajra quoting Monk Eisai, 'Father of Tea' in Japan, "tea is a miraculous medicine for the maintenance of health. Tea has an extraordinary power to prolong life."
But in the past the health claims could not be substantiated by scientific data.
As of today many studies have recorded the beneficial effects of tea on health, but the book notes that more comprehensive research is needed to evaluate effect of tea drinking on a number of diseases.
This research is of tremendous importance to the industry as it struggles to promote tea over other drinks but then they should be careful in what and how they communicate the message to the consumer, says Dr Hajra.
-- BERNAMA
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