Drinking tea associated with lower risk of heart disease

Tea is the most popular drink in the world after water and with good reason – it provides a range of natural health benefits, largely due to its flavonoid content.

A new scientific review just published in ‘Nutrition Bulletin’ [1] by independent nutritionists, Dr Carrie Ruxton and Dr Pamela Mason, has found that drinking three or more cups of tea a day is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of heart disease.

The review, which focused on black tea, reviewed 40 papers, most of which reported significant associations between regular black tea consumption and less heart disease. According to Ruxton & Mason, in the groups consuming the most tea, heart disease risk was 30-57% lower compared with groups who drank little or no tea. Their review found evidence of a reduced risk of various risk factors such as arterial stiffness and inflammation.Regular black tea consumption was also associated with reduced risk of stroke.

Commenting on this latest research, author and Tea Advisory Panel member, Dr Ruxton notes: “Mechanistically, these beneficial findings are thought to be due to positive factors in black tea such as flavonoids and theanine, which may help to control blood pressure by regulate nitric oxide production and inhibiting platelet Our review also found evidence of a link between black tea consumption and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes when 1-5 cups of tea were consumed daily, depending on the study under investigation.”[2]

We’ve always known the ‘humble cuppa’ was actually rather mighty…time to put the kettle on.

If you’re anything like us then you will have enjoyed one too many mince pies this festive season! So to give us a helping hand as we head back to the gym (hmm?) We are drinking our fantastic “Skinny tea,”  Pu-Erh.

Our Pu-Erh Mini Tuo Cha tea comes in a compressed cake-like form and produces a strong, earthy flavoured liquor with complex and slightly sweet notes. It is low in caffeine and relaxes the body and mind. Not only that, it’s also favoured by celebrities such as Victoria Beckham for its alleged slimming qualities. Slip into those skinny jeans with the help of this “skinny tea”.

If it good enough for Mrs Beckham then we will definitely be having a cuppa!

Check it out online

How many of us have already broken our New Year’s resolutions? I for one still haven’t set foot inside the gym – not even for a cheeky Jacuzzi – despite the fact I’m paying a small fortune for the privilege.

I’ve decided to be more realistic this year. Turning my addiction to tea to my advantage, I have resolved to achieve the following 4 simple goals:

1. Lose a little weight

Although I firmly believe in the power of cake to help me get my PMA (positive mental attitude!), it is possible to overindulge sometimes. That’s where tea comes in. You see, tea without milk has no calories. Using semi-skimmed milk adds around 13 calories per cup, but you also benefit from valuable minerals and calcium.

As if that’s not enough, a Swiss study on green tea found that the caffeine interacts with the flavonoids and appears to speed up calorie burning, including fat calorie burning (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Nov 1999). Click here for more info on the health benefits of tea.

I also swear by drinking some sweet flavoured tea when you’re tempted by an extra slab of cake – my particular favourites are Rooibos Crème Caramel and Chocolate Abyss. Or try some Pu-Erh, favoured by celebrities like Victoria Beckham for its alleged slimming properties.

2. De-stress

After a hectic year setting up eteaket, I really need to learn how to relax a little. By making myself take at least 20 mins out a day to just sit with a pot of tea and no distractions (especially no mobile, internet, newspapers or TV), I have found it easier to stay relaxed and maintain perspective. Try it yourself – you’ll be amazed how much more productive you are.

My favourite teas to relax with at the moment are Yellow Gold Oolong and the aptly named Chillaxin’ Chamomile.

3. Spend more time with family and friends

Tea is a very sociable drink and the whole ceremony of tea leaves, tea pot and china cups really helps people connect. Don’t forget, eteaket’s Afternoon Tea is available 7 days a week and is only £9.85 per person. For that, you get a sandwich of your choice, a freshly baked scone with clotted cream & preserve and a selection of mini patisserie served on a vintage cake stand plus a pot of tea.

It you’re ‘too busy’ to make it into eteaket, we now do Afternoon Tea parties for any occasion, be it a private party, wedding or corporate event. We also hire our vintage china and cakestands. Further details will be on the website shortly – in the meantime, please contact us for further information.

4. Help the environment

Last, but not least, in my list of achievable targets for 2010 is to help the environment. Did you know that tea has a significantly smaller carbon footprint than beer, Coca Cola, or milk.* Also, by choosing leaf tea over tea bags, your carbon foot print is about 9/10ths less than if you used tea bags. It’s a no-brainer really considering brewing loose leaf tea gives the leaves room to steep properly resulting in fuller flavour.

I’m also going to start re-using my tea leaves by adding them to my plant pots and watching my plants thrive. If you’re interested in other ways to re-use tea, click here.

So, by continuing my perfectly healthy addiction to tea, I’m confident I can realistically help control my weight, relax and de-stress, spend more quality time with family and friends and do a little to help the environment. That’s not bad for a humble leaf!

* See recent research by tea expert Nigel Melican reported at http://samovarlife.com/teas-carbon-footprint/

eteaket feature in the PlanetEye Traveller this month on How to Make the Perfect Cup of Tea.

Here are our top tips:

• “You need to start with the freshest tea as possible.  That’s why you should buy tea from eteaket – they work directly with suppliers so you know you’re getting fresh stuff.
• It isn’t necessary to boil filtered water, but you do need to make sure that you use fresh water from the kettle.  If you re-boil water leftover from the last cup, the water gets de-oxygenated. (I do this a lot so had to admit my mistake, though Erica was forgiving!)
• We discussed at length on the use of bone china cups (with the little gold strip on the rim).  While Erica couldn’t say why this makes tea taste better, we both agreed it does.
• Water temperature is important.  Some teas, like green tea, doesn’t fare so well with boiling water.
• Brewing time is important (hence our timers).  Be sure you know what the brewing time is for your tea.”

Click here to read to full article. For a slightly more detailed brewing guide click here.

eteaket spent a lovely afternoon at Molton Brown on George St on 30 July. Molton Brown had arranged hand massages for specially invited customers and we treated them to some tea and cake afterwards.

There was a lot of interest again in the health benefits of tea (not to mention the benefits of a delicious scone with clotted cream & jam – what could lift your mood more than that?) Amy certainly seemed in rather a good mood afterwards so we suspect some of the mini scones disappeared in her direction…

Yes indeed. eteaket’s article on the Best tea (and why to drink it) was recently published in The Scotsman.

Our Silver Needle White Tea comes in at number 3, closely followed by our Jasmine Flower Blossom at number 2. To find out which tea was number 1 click here to read the full article.

You’ve had a hearty lunch, slipped back behind your desk and suddenly your neck seems unable to support your head. Sound familiar? Well, you no longer have to put up with the dreaded 3 O’Clock Slump. Just reach for some white tea to boost your energy and bring you back to life.

CNN reported on several ways to help boost your energy naturally and found white tea to be one of the best ways to bring you back to life. “Of all the teas, white tea goes through the least processing,” says Iman Hakim, M.D., Ph.D., a professor at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona in Tucson and a leading researcher on the benefits of tea. White tea therefore has the highest concentration of Theanine, a rare non-protein amino acid that is found naturally in tea. Tea drinkers have always known that there cup of tea had special properties. Now research on Theanine is starting to show that it can stimulate alpha brain waves to boost alertness while producing a calming effect. And the low levels of caffeine helps to keep you hydrated (which also helps boost energy).

Scientists at the University of Massachusetts have unveiled preliminary research that suggests antioxidants found in tea and red wine may help regulate blood sugar in diabetics.

The research suggests that tea and red wine may inhibit the action of alpha-glucosidase, which slows down the absorption of glucose from the small intestine. This novel action within the human body may help people with type 2 diabetes. Both red wine and tea contain antioxidants that appear to slow transit of blood glucose after ingestion of food. Black tea had the highest impact inhibiting the activity of alpha-glucosidase, followed by white tea and oolong tea.

To read more click here…

We all know the tea leaf has wonder properties but a recent study by boffins from Cardiff University and the University of Maryland has revealed how a cup of black tea could be the next line of defence in the threat of bio-terrorism. According to their findings, a cup of English Breakfast tea could well be an antidote to anthrax (as long as you don’t add milk). Click here to find out more…

So, if we are unlucky enough to be faced with a bio-terror attack, put the kettle on and start downing some black tea. Just be sure to lay off the milk. Thankfully all that tea should also help to steady your nerves and make you ready for whatever happens next.

Tea is a natural product. It has trace elements and vitamins which help supplement the body’s needs, alongside a well balanced diet. Historically, it has been generally considered as a health product. There is now growing evidence concerning the antioxidants in tea and their role in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease.