Tuesday Tea Time

Wow...Tuesday is here again already! It's time for more tea education.

Today I will answer a question posed to me by Ms.~K on my last week's posting comments. She asked, "I am on a strict no-caffiene diet, due to heart issues...can I find caffiene free green tea?"

In regards to caffine free Green Tea I have not been able to find any as yet, however, Green Tea has the lowest caffine content per cup of any of the teas...Black Tea has 25 to 110 mg per 6 oz cup, Oolong Tea 12 to 55 mg, and Green Tea only 8 to 16 mg, which, as you can see is signifigantly less. Additionally it has been found in several published studies that tea drinking is associated with improved cardiovascular health.

In regards to 'Heart Health', scientists believe Tea provides heart health benefits in a variety of ways. Research has associated tea drinking with reduced risk for hypertention , stroke and atherosclerosis, or harding of the arteries. Other studies suggest that tea may improve blood vessel and endothelial function and help control blood clotting, thereby supporting healthy blood flow and circulation. The current body of research suggests that drinking 3 to 5 cups of tea per day can offer significant heart health benefits ranging from reducing heart attack risk to lowering Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, or “bad” cholesterol.

For example, a large Japanese population study found that, amoung men and women, those who drank just over two cups (about 17 ounces) of Green Tea per day reduced their risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 22 to 33% compared to those who drank less than a half-cup of green tea daily.

Another study found that participants who drank more than 16 fl. oz. of black tea per day had a 50% lower prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CHD) than non-tea drinkers. And yet another study found that those who drank more than 3 cups of black tea per day (>375 mL) reduced their risk of heart attack by 43% as compared to non-tea drinkers. Additionally, a study conducted by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that participants who drank 5 cups of black tea per day along with a diet moderately low in fat and cholesterol reduced their LDL cholesterol by about 11% after three weeks.

So in answer to your question ~K, I would say that the benefits of Green Tea drinking would out-weigh any negative effects considering the minimal amounts of caffeine involved. Of course you should check with your doctor before you make your decision.

The facts in this post come from articles provided by the Tea Council of the USA, Inc. If any of my readers would like additional information you can go to www.teausa.org
Or visit us at The Baron York Tea Cafe and Gift Shop for professional Tea Tasting and educational Tea Experiences. Go to www.baronyorkcafe.com for additional information on our monthly special events.