TEA AS TIPPLE IS REAL TONIC

It might be something that we take for granted, but today the Royal Society of Medicine saw the launch of a campaign urging Britons to drink four cups of tea per day to gain maximum health benefits.

Backing the launch of the £1.5M tea4health campaign, The Tea Council unveiled a comprehensive study demonstrating the health benefits associated with drinking tea, including robust evidence that, like fruit and vegetables, black tea contains powerful antioxidants, which can help to prevent against heart disease and some cancers. Major retailer ASDA is also backing the campaign.

A panel of experts, including internationally renowned nutritionists and biochemists, also identified tea drinking as being hydrating rather than dehydrating and something that, due to its relatively low caffeine content, was mood enhancing yet has no negative effect on sleep quality or duration. Tea was even seen as advantageous for dental health, through both its naturally occurring fluoride and its antibacterial properties.

The tea4health campaign is targeting young people who currently drink less than half as much as the over 50s.

Bill Gorman of The Tea Council said, “Our research shows that although young women are increasingly drinking tea rather than coffee, many are shunning tea in favour of water, which they find a chore, rather than something they enjoy. The tea4health campaign aims to dispel the myths associated with tea drinking and make the definitive recommendation that drinking at least four cups of tea a day provides vital health benefits.

“Health properties apart, the great thing about tea is that as Brits, it’s part of our culture. Tea taken at the office or home tastes great and at about 3p per cup it is unrivalled by trendy coffee shop concoctions at around £2 each.”

Even some of the major retailers are backing the campaign with plans to relocate the tea fixture to the fruit and veg aisle. ASDA (part of the Wal-Mart family) has taken steps to sell tea at the fruit and veg aisle in one of its London stores. Customers visiting ASDA at Park Royal will buy their tea while picking out their fruit and vegetables.

As a nation, we are already drinking 165 million cups per day, which equates to just under 3 cups each. The tea4health campaign is intending to increase that to at least 4 cups per day, to ensure that the maximum health benefits are gained.

As part of the campaign The Tea Council has launched a new leaflet to be made available through GP surgeries as well as a new website www.tea4health.com which aims to keep the public up to date with the health benefits of tea as well as providing access to research, facts and figures, current and past news and interactive elements to remind visitors to the site of the health benefits gained from drinking 4 cups a day.