THE SECRET INGREDIENT IN YOUR BRITISH CUPPA

New research review highlights the health benefits of thearubigins – a polyphenol found only in black tea

Whether it’s clean eating, superfood diets or rapid ways to lose weight, green tea is lauded for its health credentials; with regular black tea – enjoyed by millions of Brits every day – often forgotten.

All this could change with the publication of a new scientific review, in the journal, Nutrition & Food Technology[1], which argues that the little-known polyphenols found in black tea – called thearubigins – have equally powerful health benefits.

Not only this, Brits have the highest thearubigin intake, in Europe with the average tea drinker taking in 327 mg daily – more than double the European average of 156 mg and 50 times higher than the intakes in Spain.

The new review, undertaken by the Tea Advisory Panel – www.teaadvisorypanel.com, examined the results from five human studies and 17 laboratory studies looking specifically at thearubigins, one of the flavonoid group of polyphenols. The main areas of health which could be influenced by thearubigins were gut health, blood pressure, and anti-cancer effects, in part due to their powerful antioxidant potential and anti-inflammatory effects.

Lead author and tea expert, Dr Tim Bond, comments: “Research on thearubigins is at an early stage in comparison with the wealth of data we have on the benefits of drinking green and black teas. However, it’s clear from laboratory studies that thearubigins are important antioxidants and appear to have anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as regulating gut function. Thearubigins could be key to understanding the mechanisms behind the well-known health benefits of black tea and the identification of actives that are responsible for these. We now need to

build on this work with clinical trials in human populations”.

Dr Carrie Ruxton, from the Tea Advisory Panel, adds: “Health features are often full of good news about green tea and our much-loved British cuppa can be

overlooked. This new review is great for people who prefer a regular cup of black tea and adds to the

considerable evidence on tea’s role in maintaining heart health, cognitive function and gut health”.

The Tea Advisory Panel: The Tea Advisory Panel is supported by an unrestricted educational grant from the UK TEA & INFUSIONS ASSOCIATION, the trade association for the UK tea industry. The Panel has been created to provide media with impartial information regarding the health benefits of tea. Panel members include nutritionists; dieticians and doctors.