By Karen Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team

The idiom "my cup of tea" is used to refer to something one likes to do.  For example, I love to read historical fiction and recently finished a book by one of my favorite authors. Sandra Dallas as an author is my cup of tea! I became familiar with her works when she wrote The Persian Pickle Club about a quilting club in Kansas during the Dust Bowl. I enjoy her books to the point where I order them from the library without looking at the subject. So, I put a loan request in  (thanks, Ada Public Library) for her latest novel The Little Souls without thinking about the topic.

Ironically, I started reading the first chapter and realized it was historical fiction about the 1918 influenza outbreak in the United States. My first reaction was enough with the pandemics, but she really is my cup of tea and I enjoyed the story.  

It may not be obvious, but I don’t want to talk about pandemics. I would rather discuss tea. Yes, tea!

True teas are ones that come from the Camellia sinensis plant or leaves. The variation in true teas comes from differences in harvesting, growing and processing the leaves. True teas include black, green, oolong and white. Green tea is produced before the tea leaves go through an oxidation (leaves exposed to the air) process, while black tea leaves are crushed and exposed to the air for a full oxidation process. Interestingly, oolong is between black and green tea in the processing. White tea comes from the immature leaf that has not opened fully when harvested. All of the true teas naturally contain caffeine and polyphenols.  

Herbal teas do not come from the Camellia sinensis plant, but rather from other plants. Some common herbal teas include rooibos, hibiscus, chamomile, peppermint, lemon balm and ginger.  These herbs may have their own health benefits not related to the polyphenols found in true teas. For example, rooibos teas may help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. Hibiscus can lower blood pressure and may help to prevent kidney stones. Some commercial teas will mix true teas with herbal plants to improve the benefit with the combination. 

The health benefits seen with tea are believed to be related to the polyphenols, which serve as antioxidants. Antioxidants help repair and prevent damage to the cells in the body. The polyphenols found in tea include flavonols, theaflavins (black tea) and catechins (green tea). Teas' antioxidant benefits have been studied to determine benefit with type and quantity in clinical human trials.

Data was presented at the Sixth International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health on April 26, 2022, describing health benefits of tea. These benefits can include reducing inflammation in the body, as well as reducing premature death from heart disease. It is important to note that the Tea Council co-sponsors this program, but data are published in peer-reviewed medical journals as well.  

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported cognitive health benefits in those individuals who drank between 1 to 6 cups per day of tea. This study evaluated the benefits of green tea in a Japanese population who were older than 70 years of age. The benefit started with 1 cup per day, but the maximum benefit was seen with 4 to 6 cups per day. This study evaluated cognitive decline and not an improvement in thinking or attention ability. The study used a validated scale to evaluate cognitive function known as the Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE).  Some clinicians recommend a MMSE with an annual health screening for those adults over the age of 65 years.  

Another Japanese study evaluating green tea determined a 62% reduction in overall death if the participants drank at least 7 cups per day. A second study with green tea in a Japanese population showed an improvement in overall death rate from stroke and heart disease with even 1 cup of green tea per day. A third study evaluated the health benefits of tea from 96 different studies published in the medical literature and found a decrease in premature death, heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes with 2-3 cups per day of tea. This third study evaluated all of the true teas and was not limited to just green tea. 

A curious finding from the third study when evaluating 96 different tea studies was an increased risk of esophageal cancers. The increase risk of cancer is believed to be related to individuals drinking the tea too hot and the recommendation is to allow it to cool slightly before drinking.

Other studies have been reported that milk proteins reduce the health benefits of teas by decreasing the antioxidant properties. The milk proteins bind to the polyphenols in the tea and thereby negate their effects.  

So, drink in the benefits of true teas but don’t drink it too hot or with milk! It might just be your cup of tea!

ONU HealthWise is offering COVID-19 including boosters Monday through Friday from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. Call the pharmacy for an appointment for other time slots or for more information. The ONU HealthWise pharmacy offers Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines.

ONU HealthWise Pharmacy
419-772-3784
www.onuhealthwisepharmacy.com