Tea Health and Facts

Tea Composition

• Tea contains no sodium, fat, carbonation or sugar and is nearly calorie free.
• One cup of black tea contains approximately 1/3 the caffeine found in an equivalent cup of coffee. The caffeine found in green tea and white tea is even lower than that of black tea.

Health Benefits

• Tea also contains flavonoids, which are naturally occurring compounds believed to have antioxidant properties.
• Drinking 3 to 5 cups of tea per day can aid in reducing the risk of heart attack as well as assist in the lowering of LDL ("bad") cholesterol.
• One study found that in tea drinkers, the risk of colon cancer is reduced by approximately 42% as compared to non-tea drinkers.

Consumption

• Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water and can be found in approximately 80% of U.S. households.
• Annually in 2007, Americans consumed over 55 billion servings of tea, or 2.5 billion gallons. On any given day, approximately 50% of the American population drinks tea.

Growing Regions

• Much of the world’s tea is grown in mountainous areas 3000-7000 feet above sea level in mineral rich soil. Leading tea-producing countries include Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, and Sri Lanka.
• India accounts for approximately 30% of global tea production with Assam being its largest tea-producing region.