How come tea is good for you?

Before exploring tea's potential health benefits, let's look at the concept of health. In the West, health is often seen as a static state, while in the East, it's more often viewed as a dynamic process influenced by various factors like lifestyle, diet, thoughts, emotions, and more. So, the main difference between Eastern and Western perspectives on health is that, in the East, health is seen as something we can very much influence ourselves, and a holistic and preventative view on health is more often applied.

Tea - one of the most consumed beverages on the planet, after water

Tea (here I refer only to the tea plant Camellia sinensis) is especially enjoyed in the East, where the cultivation of tea originates. The health benefits you can read about related to tea, created in the East, can sometimes seem quite exaggerated if we evaluate them according to a Western, more "scientific" perspective. However, if we look at tea as a nice, uplifting, versatile drink that can enhance our overall healthy quality of life, then the benefits of tea fall more into place.

So, what does tea contain that is good for us? Or, to phrase it differently, since humans have been enjoying tea for at least 5000 years, there is probably something to it that is felt by a vast majority of people on this planet. So, what is it in tea that makes us feel good, more awake, and uplifted?

Tea leaves and buds in different stages of maturity. Different tea types require tea leaves in different stages.

Due to scientific research and knowledgeable tea people, the following substances are the most important in tea:

•Polyphenols - or antioxidants (AOX) make up 27-44% of dry tea matter (the AOX can be divided into subgroups like flavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins) and they give tea its astringency, potency, and mouthfeel. But they also protect the plant itself against insects. The polyphenols in tea are considered stronger antioxidants than vitamins E and C. Furthermore, they are increased by sunlight, and therefore shaded teas (which are common in Japan) have less astringency.

• Carbohydrates make up 32-44% of the leaves' dry matter, and these give tea its sweetness (only monosaccharides can pass into water, so natural tea has almost no calories at all). The carbs are also important in the processing of tea because they facilitate the enzymatic browning (also called oxidation, which makes a black tea dark brown) and help create polyphenols in the young leaf.

•Amino acids 18-22% of dry leaf matter, among them L-theanine. This amino acid has been identified in some mushrooms but tea is the primary natural source of L-theanine. This substance can also be increased in shaded teas and it can enhance the alpha waves in the brain, so that we feel alerted yet in a calm way, more below.

• Enzymes – a catalyst that facilitates the oxidation process (enzymatic browning), these are destroyed at high heat, which we utilize when we produce green tea (we heat up the tea leaves very soon after harvesting to prevent oxidation from happening).

•Pigment / Chlorophyll 0.5-0.6% of dry leaf matter, gives tea color and taste, can also be enhanced by shade growing.

•Alkaloids make up 3-5% of dry leaf matter. Alkaloids are stimulating substances more commonly known as caffeine or theine – it's the same substance. Unprocessed tea leaves contain more theine than fresh coffee beans, but the production process changes the ratio, so roasted coffee can contain up to three times more caffeine than tea. Coffee gives you a strong, fast energizing effect that fades in 1-2 hours. Tea provides a calm energy that can last up to 6 hours. The longer duration is said to be due to the L-theanine that interacts with theine, waking you up and giving you high capacity for concentration!

•Minerals & Vitamins: 0.5-0.6% of dry matter, 28 different minerals have been identified in tea. The most common are fluorine, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. The amount varies between different tea types, terroirs, and from season to season. Vitamins: the most common are beta carotene (A), various B vitamins, C, and E. However, a side note: many vitamins are destroyed by high heat, so they probably do not survive the production or the steeping process.

• Volatile substances, 0.01-0.02%, give tea its pleasant aroma and taste. More than 600 substances have been identified; examples include hexanal (aroma of fresh fruit, fresh grass), hexenol (herbal & woody flavors), linalool (floral, sweet, lavender), geraniol (rosy, geranium), pentanal (malt, pungent, almond), and many more.

In order to reap all the benefits of tea, aim for high-quality, sustainably produced teas from as early a harvest as possible in each season. Higher quality will cost more but will ensure tea that you can steep several times on the same leaves. And high-quality, sustainable teas are typically produced in small batches, by smaller production units where the tea farmer also gets his or her fair share.

I'll be happy to help you select the right teas for your office, your hotel, café, or restaurant. Welcome to contact me at catrin@brandable.se

I am the only supplier of Pure Tea, Althaus, and Limited Leaves in Sweden, and I also import many teas directly from small plantations that I have visited. Read more at www.teamasters.se

Pure Tea is organic, fair tea in pouches and in loose leaf. The packaging materials are biodegradable and recyclable. The print is made with water-based ink. When the teas are flavoured, it's only with natural ingredients that, of course, make these teas vegan, gluten and lactose-free!