Here’s another great article picked up through the New York Times but posted in the Taipai Times. Writer Carolyn Poirot was fortunate to get an interview with Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg who co -chaired the Fourth International Scientific Symposium on Tea and Human Health this fall. The interview starts off with a bang.

“As a nutrition scientist, I consider tea as a healthy choice for three reasons: It meets hydration needs, it has no calories and it’s really rich in phytonutrients [plant-based substances] that we know provide some human health benefits,” said Jeffrey Blumberg, director of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at Tufts University in Boston.

“Tea has more of the catechins [a group of phytochemicals that act as antioxidants] than any food I am aware of. It is far and away the biggest, richest best source of those phytonutrients, and it’s a pleasant, aromatic and flavorful beverage.”

When asked if you get the same health benefits from taking tea supplements, Dr. Blumberg gave a very astute response:

“There are not very many studies on tea supplements, yet the few that we have suggest they are mimicking some of the cardio and cancer benefits established in tea studies. You are going to get some of the same benefits from tea extracts, but they are not the same thing. I have a slight bias as a nutrition scientist. Mother Nature put a lot of different beneficial chemicals and compounds in tea so why not take advantage of all of them?”

When asked how much do you need to drink to get the health benefits of tea, Dr. Blumberg concluded, “From lots and lots of observational studies, it looks like four to five cups a day will put you in the highest 20 percent for protection against heart disease and stroke. Those who drink four cups or more consistently have the lowest risk of heart disease. There is definitely a dose/response relationship, but most people don’t drink 8 or 10 or 20 cups a day, so I have no data on that.”

When asked if you can overdose on too much tea, Blumberg replied “In animals, you can give absolutely mammoth amounts without harm, and in 5,000 years of human history there is no evidence of harm in healthy human beings, within a tremendous range (of doses).”

It just makes me want to stop what I’m doing and go brew up a pot of tea. . . Here’s to your health . . .and to mine!