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| Tuesday, 5 November 2002 |
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High Quali-Tea?
Since tea was first tasted by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung in 2737 BC, it has long been associated with aiding human well-being. It first came to Sri Lanka in 1824, whereby tea plants were brought from China and then again in 1839, when further clippings were imported from Assam, for experimental purposes. The first time that tea was planted in Sri Lanka for commercial purposes was in 1867, however it was not until two years later in 1869 that the tea industry really began to take off. It was thanks to a crisis of coffee crops that allowed planters to transform what land they had originally set aside for coffee crops, to turn them into tea plantations. In 1869, there were just 80 hectares of land providing tea plantations in Sri Lanka, however today, there are over 221,690 hectares of tea plantations in Sri Lanka; almost 3000 times more the original amount! Industry Today, the tea industry is a vital component of the Sri Lankan economy. The facts and figures speak for themselves: Tea is the second most widely consumed beverage in the world, behind water. Sri Lanka is the third biggest tea producing country in the world. It has a 9% production share within the international market and is also the world's largest exporter with a total share of 19% of global demand. At a recent conference to promote the positive health benefits of tea, Lakshman Kiriella, Minister for Plantations and Industry, said "People in general, are becoming more and more health conscious. Now is the right time for us to fully explore, investigate and understand the health benefits, which have long been associated with tea." World health Several prominent scientists have been invited to research this area in more detail. Dr P.N. Thenabadu, a leading consultant cardiologist, has researched in great detail the effects of tea in relation to cardiovascular disease. It is his informed opinion that as tea is such a widely consumed beverage, any effects on health, either positive or negative, will have a far reaching effect on the world's population as a whole. At the bases of Dr P.N. Thenabadu's findings, he outlines that tea beverages are a rich source of dietary flavanoids. Furthermore, the flavanol family of flavanoids in tea, are amongst the most powerful dietary antioxidants. Overall, he concludes that tea flavanoids have antioxidant properties, they improve the endothelial function, they modulate platelet function, they protect against apoptic cell death and they influence oxidant-meditated gene expression. Co-author of the recently published work entitled "Tea and Health", Dr A.M.T. Amarakoon, also a senior research officer and acting head of the biochemistry division for the tea research board, outlines that a characteristic feature of tea is its low sodium content. Consequently, this makes it an ideal component for people with hypertension whose diets would require them to have a low sodium intake. Furthermore, according to these findings, tea is a rich source of fluoride, which helps prevent tooth decay. Caffeine Dr A.M.T. Amarakoon argues that the main benefits of tea drinking, are that tea contains a large amount of polyphenols, which are strong antioxidants. In addition, caffeine, which is also found in tea, when consumed in moderation, has a positive effect on the central nervous system. Iron deficiency Professor and head of the biochemistry and molecular biology department within the faculty of medicine at the university of Colombo, Professor Sunethra Athukorale, took her research to the grassroots level and noted that tea is a safe drink and that it is in fact an important source of water for millions for whom clean water is still a luxury. Furthermore, given that Sri Lanka has a big problem with regards to iron deficiency, drinking tea, as part of a healthy, well-balanced diet, can help reduce iron deficiency. Dr. Siromani Abeyratne, researcher into tea and oral health, has echoed the findings of her colleagues. She claims that caffeine and polyphenols have the most health benefits attributed to them in comparison to the other components in tea. Nonetheless, she adds that tea does have a high mineral content, which is essential to human health. Dr Abeyratne cites potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, zinc and iron as being the minerals present in tea. |
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by Louise Baxter
