While scientific evidence has supported the health properties of tea’s bioactive compounds, there is now guidance on how much of these nutrients we need to consume for health benefits.
New guidelines published in Advances in Nutrition have extrapolated data from published research to form dietary recommendations for flavan-3-ol intake. This research and guidance is the culmination of a collaboration between the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Science, an international expert panel and The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, to release recommendations for specific quantities of flavan-3-ols to consume daily to reap health benefits.
What Are Flavan-3-ols?
There’s something brewing in tea that some consumers may not know about: flavan-3-ols. Data shows that consumption of 400-600mg of flavan-3-ols daily (about two cups of brewed green or black tea) can help improve blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.
Flavan-3-ols are plant compounds found in many foods and drinks, such as tea, berries, craisins, apples and dark chocolate. True teas – such as black and green – have been found to have the highest concentrations of flavan-3-ols of all foods and beverages evaluated.
For decades, research has consistently demonstrated flavan-3-ols' ability to help reduce the risk of diet-related conditions such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes by helping to improve blood pressure, blood flow, cholesterol levels and blood sugar. Flavan-3-ols have even been shown to help protect the body's cells from damage as we age.
Flavan-3-ols and Diet-Related Disease
These new guidelines could impact broader dietary recommendations and significantly improve the health of Americans. To establish these guidelines, data was evaluated from 157 randomized control trials and 15 cohort studies as part of a recently published systematic review and meta-analysis.
When asked about the significance of the guidelines, lead researcher Kristi Crowe-White, PhD, RD explained, “We know flavan-3-ols found in plant-foods can impact cardiometabolic health by helping to improve blood pressure, blood flow, cholesterol levels and blood sugar making our intake recommendations key to preventing, and improving, disease. Flavan-3-ol rich foods, such as teas, are accessible and affordable and can truly have positive effects on cardiometabolic health. These guidelines are a framework for broader dietary guidance and show the powerful impact food has on health.”
Diet-related diseases not only negatively impact the health of individuals, but the economy. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States and costs the United States about $229 billion each year (see footnotes 1 and 2). In addition, 37.3 million Americans (about 1 in 10) have diabetes, and 96 million American adults (more than 1 in 3) have pre-diabetes (see footnote 3). Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, and annual medical costs and lost work and wages totals an estimated $327 billion (see footnote 4).
Is Tea the Key?
As consumers look to improve their health and prevent disease through diet, it's important for them to know which foods and beverages contain the highest amount of nutrients to reap the most benefits. Tea has been found to have the highest concentrations of flavan-3-ols of all foods and beverages evaluated.
“Teas such as green and black are flavan-3-ol powerhouses,” said Crowe-White. “It's exciting something like tea, which so many people already consume and enjoy, and is accessible and affordable, can provide us with optimal amounts of flavan-3-ols.”
The newly issued guidance states there is moderate evidence supporting cardiometabolic protection from consuming 400-600mg of flavan-3-ols daily. Following these guidelines, research suggests health benefits can be seen from consuming about two, eight-ounce cups of green or black tea each day. Importantly, these guidelines are food-based recommendations, meaning the flavan-3-ols should be consumed through food and drink and are not applicable recommendations for flavan-3-ol supplements.
“Research has always shown that tea is an inherently healthy beverage, but with this groundbreaking guidance, we now have actionable recommendations about how much tea should be consumed to see health benefits,” noted Peter Goggi, president of the Tea Association of the U.S.A. “By drinking just two cups of true tea each day people will be able to improve their health. Science shows tea is a key beverage to consume if you want to live a long, healthy life.”
Information on the new research was promoted by The Tea Council of the USA, a non-profit association that was formed in 1950 as a joint partnership between tea packers, importers and allied industries within the United States, and the major tea producing countries. It functions as the promotional arm of the tea industry with a primary goal of increasing overall awareness of tea by providing information about its many positive attributes. One of the Council's primary objectives is the dissemination of key scientific findings about tea to the public.
To learn more about the Tea Council of the USA, visit TeaUSA.com.
Footnotes:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. About Multiple Cause of Death, 1999–2020. CDC WONDER Online Database website. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2022. Accessed February 21, 2022.
2. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS): household component summary tables: medical conditions, United States. Accessed April 8, 2021.
3. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The facts, stats, and impacts of diabetes. (2022, January 24). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/spotlights/diabetes-facts-stats.html.4. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The facts, stats, and impacts of diabetes. (2022, Jan. 2).
4). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/spotlights/diabetes-facts-stats.html
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