Tea and Wellness throughout Life

Abstract

Tea (Camellia sinensis) is the most commonly consumed beverage globally after water, with black tea being the most popular type of tea drunk in Britain by people of all ages. The potential for tea to contribute to health and wellness throughout life is worthy of consideration. Tea is a low calorie drink with several bioactive polyphenol ingredients which are well known to have antioxidant activity. Black tea in particular is a source of the amino acid L-theanine which has been linked with benefits for mental, immune and cardiovascular health. Prevalence of poor health, including poor cardiovascular, metabolic, mental, brain, bone and immune health, which may result in serious outcomes, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, cognitive decline and an inability to fight infection, is high in the UK and the European region. Interest in safe, natural ingredients for promoting health and wellness is growing. Whilst tea has been consumed for centuries, its health benefits have emerged more powerfully during recent decades giving scientific credence to the traditional perception that tea makes those who include it in their pattern of daily life feel good. This review collates evidence from human studies which evaluate the health and wellness impacts of tea consumption throughout life including into old age. It explores the evidence available on tea and mental and cognitive health, cardiovascular health, metabolic health, bone health, gut health and immune health. It identifies the bioactive ingredients which are likely contributors to these health impacts and includes evidence from laboratory studies that help to explain the mechanisms by which these benefits may occur. Overall, this review concludes that tea consumption contributes to health and wellness throughout life and that everyone should be encouraged to enjoy three cups daily as part of a healthy lifestyle pattern.