Labels on bottled tea beverages are typically plastered with declarations of their rich antioxidant content. But a new study suggests, if you're looking for high doses of healthful antioxidants, you might be better off brewing your tea at home. Many of the popular beverages included in the study contain fewer antioxidants than a single cup of home-brewed green or black tea, the researchers say. Some store-bought teas contain such small amounts that consumers would have to drink 20 bottles to get the antioxidants, also called polyphenols, present in one cup of tea.
"There is a huge gap between the perception that tea consumption is healthy and the actual amount of the healthful nutrients — polyphenols — found in bottled tea beverages. Our analysis of tea beverages found that the polyphenol content is extremely low," said study researcher Shiming Li, an analytical and natural product chemist at WellGen, Inc., a biotechnology company in North Brunswick, N.J., that develops medical foods for patients with diseases, including a proprietary black tea product that will be marketed for its anti-inflammatory benefits. In addition, bottled beverages often contain large amounts of sugar that health-conscious consumers may be trying to avoid, Li said. The study was presented Aug. 22 at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) in Boston. Bottled vs. brewed
Antioxidants are substances that protect cells against damage from unstable molecules called free radicals. They may play a role in preventing a host of diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's. Li and colleagues measured the level of polyphenols of six brands of tea purchased from supermarkets. Half of them contained what Li characterized as "virtually no" antioxidants. The rest had small amounts of polyphenols that Li said probably would carry little health benefit, especially when considering the high sugar intake from tea beverages. The six teas Li analyzed contained 81, 43, 40, 13, 4, and 3 milligrams of polyphenols per 16-ounce bottle. One average cup of home-brewed green or black tea, which costs only a few cents, contains 50-150 milligrams of polyphenols. Less tea, more water
|After water, tea is the world's most widely consumed beverage. Tea sales in the United States have quadrupled since 1990 and now total about $7 billion annually. Some manufacturers do list polyphenol content on the bottle label, Li said. But the amounts may be incorrect, because there are no industry or government standards or guidelines for measuring and listing the polyphenolic compounds in a given product. A regular tea bag, for example, weighs about 2.2 grams and could contain as much as 175 mg of polyphenols, Li said. But polyphenols degrade and disappear as the tea bag is steeped in hot water. The polyphenol content also may vary as manufacturers change their processes, including the quantity and quality of tea used to prepare a batch and the tea brewing time. "Polyphenols are bitter and astringent, but to target as many consumers as they can, manufacturers want to keep the bitterness and astringency at a minimum," Li explained. "The simplest way is to add less tea, which makes the tea polyphenol content low but tastes smoother and sweeter." Li used a standard laboratory technique, termed high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), to make what he described as the first measurements of polyphenols in bottled tea beverages. He hopes the research will encourage similar use of HPLC by manufacturers and others to provide consumers with better nutritional information.
(Article posted by MSNBC news 08/22/10)
To answer this week’s most popular question …
What is Tulsi?Known as "The Queen of Herbs", tulsi (Ocimum sanctum) or holy basil is the most sacred herb of India. Although called holy basil it is a different plant from the pesto variety of Basil (Ocimum basilicum). For over five thousand years, tulsi has been revered in India as a healing balm for body, mind and spirit, and is known to bestow an amazing number of health benefits. Today, available at SensibiliTeas, it is known as a stress-relieving, energizing and delicious tea.
What are the health benefits of tulsi?Tulsi, rich in antioxidant and renowned for its restorative powers, has several benefits: - Relieves stress
- Boosts immune system
- Enhances stamina
- Provides support during cold season
- Promotes healthy metabolism
- Lowers cholesterol
- Eliminates toxins
- Protects against radiation
- Relieves inflammation
- Prevents gastric ulcer
- Reduces fever
- Improves digestion
- High in antioxidants
- Improves viscosity of blood
- Regulates blood pressure
- Normalizes blood sugar
How soon can you expect to see results from drinking Tulsi?
Some of tulsi effects are quite immediate, while others develop gradually after weeks of regular use. You may feel more relaxed and energized after the first cup. With regular use, you may simply notice that you do not seem to be bothered by stress or common illnesses, such as colds or flu, as often or as much as before, or you may generally notice that you tire less easily. As with many other herbal supplements, it usually takes at least a week or so of consistent use for the body to experience major benefits. For best results, we recommend drinking 3 cups a day (or two mugs) if possible.
As well as carrying plain Tulsi, I also carry a tulsi blend, Shanti, that contains orange peel, fennel and spearmint. I’m also working on a Tulsi Chai blend, and a sensuous, relaxing blend that is yet to be named containing rose petals, chamomile, lemon myrtle.
If you have any further questions about tulsi, please feel free to ask!
Want to try Tulsi? How about a sale through Saturday, February 14th? 20% off all purchases of Tulsi or Shanti to blog readers. For online orders, use the code ``blog020809'' in the special comments field of the online order form. For in-shop sales, remind me of the blog sale for Tulsi.
For Christians and Jews alike, we know it to be the sign given to Noah that dry land existed -- a sign of hope. We’ve seen it in the mouth of the dove of peace. We’ve seen a wreath of it around the heads of ancient kings and emperors. To see an olive branch, we see a symbol of peace. Today, many studies indicate that we may also look at this branch as a symbol of good health!Olive leaf is the leaf of the olive tree (Olea europaea). This tree is historically known as the Tree of Life, likely with good reason. While the fruit of the olive plant and oil from the olives are well known for flavor and health benefits, the leaf has been used medicinally through history. Natural olive leaf and olive leaf extracts (OLE containing oleuropein), are now marketed as anti-aging, immuno-stimulators, and even antibiotics. Clinical evidence has proven the blood pressure lowering effects of olive leaf.It has been studied for use against a variety of bacteria including those that can cause salmonella, pneumonia and other infections of the respiratory tract and intestines and shown to be useful in the treatment of these ailments. Viral invaders, including those that can cause herpes, shingles, yeast infections, polio, colds and influenza may also be inhibited by olive leaf.Olive leaf is also good for the heart. Scientists think olive leaf's potential ability to support cardiovascular health is linked to four main factors. First, olive leaf contains an antioxidant that may help prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. The oxidation of LDL cholesterol-the so-called "bad" cholesterol-can severely damage the walls of arteries and it is one of the chief contributors to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Another compound in olive leaf may support healthy blood flow by lowering its viscosity and making it less "sticky." Third, olive leaf may have the ability to dilate blood vessels, thus lowering blood pressure. Finally, olive leaf may be able to lower cholesterol levels.As for digestive health, olive leaf may also have anti-fungal properties that can help maintain a healthy balance of microorganisms in the intestines. The anti-fungal and anti-viral properties in olive leaf make it potentially useful in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. And to top it all off, olive leaf has four times the antioxidant power of green tea to boost the immune system, may increase energy levels and serves as a natural detoxifier.Some recent research on the olive leaf has shown its antioxidants to be effective in treating some tumors and cancers such as liver, prostate and breast cancer but the research on this is preliminary.Organic Olive Leaf is now available at SensibiliTeas for $3.00. Also for $3.00 per ounce is an Olive Leaf custom blend containing Organic Olive Leaf, Organic Lemon Myrtle and Organic Stevia. Fantastic hot or iced. For best results, steeping time, though, should be strictly obeyed, as it can become quite bitter if steeped longer than 1 minute. These products are not yet on the website. Blog readers are the first to learn of new products!Recommended use for effectiveness is 4-6 teaspoons of dried olive leaf daily. This is three 16oz. cups, or four 12 oz. cups. Unless a physician is consulted, use of olive leaf should be avoided by those taking anticoagulants, diabetic medications, ACE inhibitors, antihypertensive medications and antiplatelet medications. Use should be discontinued two weeks prior to surgery or dental work.As with most herbs, we recommend against use by pregnant and breast-feeding women, and caution that allergic reactions may appear in sensitive individuals. Discontinue use if you detect irregular breathing, rash, hives or itching.
Today's quote is from Benjamin Franklin:There was never a good war or bad peace.
Labels on bottled tea beverages are typically plastered with declarations of their rich antioxidant content. But a new study suggests, if you're looking for high doses of healthful antioxidants, you might be better off brewing your tea at home. 
