TEA IN PROMOTION OF HUMAN HEALTH

Abstract

Because of its special aroma, taste and low cost, next to water, tea has been the most common beverage consumed by humans. Tea leaves are primarily manufactured as black, green, or oolong, with black tea representing approximately 80% of tea products consumed worldwide. Even though health beneficial effects of tea are known for centuries, the concept of use of tea for promotion of human health and prevention and cure of diseases has become a subject of research interest in recent years. The health promoting effects of tea are attributed to the polyphenolic antioxidants present therein. Diseases for which tea drinkers appear to have lower risk are simple infections like bacterial and viral- infectivity to chronic debalating diseases that include cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis. Initial studies suggested that green tea possess human health promoting effects. In recent years the research efforts have also been expanded to black tea. From the research conducted in recent years around the world, it is becoming clear that both black and green teas have very similar beneficial attributes in lowering the risk of many human diseases. The strongest evidence gathered so far is for two most dreaded diseases: cancer and heart disease. For cancer prevention the evidence is so overwhelming that the Chemoprevention Branch of the National Cancer Institute, United States of America has initiated a plan for developing tea compounds as cancer chemopreventive drugs in human trials. The outcome of these and many other investigator initiated trials is eagerly awaited. Thus, modern medical research is confirming the ancient wisdom that therapy of many diseases may reside in an inexpensive beverage in a teapot.