News from the Tea Council of the U.S.A.

• Black Tea May Protect Against Parkinson’s Disease
Chinese researchers evaluated the incidence of Parkinson’s disease among some 63,000 Chinese men and women, who were followed over a 12-year period while researchers tracked their diet and lifestyle patterns.
The authors found that among those who reported drinking the most black tea, their risk for developing Parkinson’s was reduced by 71 percent, compared to those who drank the least amount of black tea. Total caffeine intake among the subjects was also found to be associated with reduced risk, but when the researchers adjusted for the caffeine content of black tea, the association still remained, suggesting that compounds in tea (other than caffeine) may help protect the brain and nervous system as we age.
Parkinson’s disease afflicts more than 1.7 million Americans, more than Muscular Dystrophy, Multiple Sclerosis and Lou Gehrig’s disease combined. There are 70,000 new cases diagnosed annually, for which there is no cure, only treatment options to help control the symptoms. Tan, LC, Koh WP, Yuan JM et al. Differential Effects of Black versus Green Tea on Risk of Parkinson's Disease in the Singapore Chinese Health Study. Am J Epidemiol. 2007. [ Epub ahead of print].

• Tea May Help Fend Off Excess Liquid Calories and Obesity
In a review of the current beverage consumption patterns among Americans, researchers reveal that Americans are drinking too many liquid calories that lack satiety and appear to be a direct association with overweight and obesity. According to the researchers, Americans drink 135 gallons of non-water beverages each year. They further report that beverages contribute 80% of the 74 pounds of added sugars that Americans consume annually.
Numerous studies have demonstrated that beverages containing sugar or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are handled differently by the body than when sugar or HFCS are incorporated in solid foods. Calorie-free tea, say the researchers, is a good option to contribute to daily hydration without adding excess calories or added sugars. Keeping tea low in calories by drinking it without milk or sweeteners, or by adding only nonfat milk and limiting sweeteners, may be one approach to help combat obesity. Wolf, A, Bray, GA and Popkin BM. A short history of beverages and how our body treats them. 2008; Obesity Reviews 9(2):151–164.

• Has Tax Season Gotten the Best of Your Nerves? De-stress with a Cup of Tea
More than two centuries ago, American colonists in Boston stormed the decks of British ships bringing tea to the 13 colonies in protest of “taxation without representation.” This famous incident in American history became known as the “Boston Tea Party” and was one of the key events that ultimately sparked the Revolutionary War.
Today, Americans aren’t storming ships and throwing tea into the harbor in protest over taxes, but rather storming tea houses as a way to escape the stress associated with the dreaded upcoming tax season.
Whether you are daring enough to do your own taxes, or pay large fees to have them done, tax season tends to get the best of our nerves. While in the midst of March and April, talk of taxes, filing extensions and getting your receipts in order is “all the buzz” surrounding the water cooler.

Hopefully you have been keeping all your files together, but more likely than not, you may have to sacrifice precious free time to try and locate all the documents you need to file on time. During such stressful times, many Americans have found a quick and easy method to de-stress that can be done on the move or at your desk. Drink tea!
Tea, the world's most widely consumed beverage (next to water), is a great-tasting, calorie-free beverage that can be a satisfying part of a healthy diet. In addition, drinking tea provides certain scientifically-supportable, disease-preventive health benefits.

New scientific research has found that an amino acid, present almost exclusively in Green, Black, White and Oolong tea varieties, called theanine can affect and increase alpha brain-wave activity, inducing a calm, yet more alert, state of mind. The combination of caffeine with theanine may help induce a relaxed state that also allows the mind to focus and concentrate better at tasks, even after just 20 minutes of consumption.
So as you forge ahead with the plethora of forms and filing deadlines, be sure to have a kettle of hot tea brewing or a fresh pitcher of iced tea on hand. And remember to take a few moments a day to relax and calm yourself with your favorite tea!