Tea & Health: Key Takeaways from Recent Scientific Symposium on Tea

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True teas – which include black, green, white, oolong, and dark – can contribute significantly to the promotion of public health.

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Tea consumption could have a measurable connection with a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease and strokes.

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Coffee isn’t the only popular beverage with health benefits. On April 26, nutrition experts from around the world gathered for the Sixth International Scientific Symposium on Tea & Human Health. A substantial amount of evidence demonstrates the health benefits of tea, which is rich in antioxidants and flavonoids. The symposium featured updates on the latest research.

"True teas – which include black, green, white, oolong, and dark – can contribute significantly to the promotion of public health,” said symposium chair, Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, an active professor emeritus in the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in a press release. “Evidence presented at this symposium reveals results - ranging from suggestive to compelling - about the benefits of tea on cancer, cardiometabolic disease, cognitive performance, and immune function.”

Two of the panels presented during the symposium focused on the impact of tea on cognitive function. Louise Dye, PhD, professor of nutrition and behavior at the University of Leeds, spoke about how tea can have a positive impact on attention and alertness. Another panel featured insight into the long-term benefits of tea consumption on cognitive function. Jonathan Hodgson, PhD, professor at the Institute for Nutrition Research at Edith Cowan University, discussed the role just one to two cups of tea could play in decreasing the risk of vascular dementia.

Experts also discussed tea’s benefits for cardiovascular health. One panel homed in on the cardiovascular benefits of green and black tea, while another featured a discussion on research around tea in relation to cardiometabolic health and cognitive function. Tea consumption could have a measurable connection with a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease and strokes.

Green tea was in the spotlight again during a panel led by Dayong Wu, MD, PhD, Nutritional Immunology Laboratory in the USDA Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. Dr. Wu shared his insight into the ways green tea can support the body’s immune system. Research indicates green tea can help promote resilience against disease and help suppress inflammation associated with autoimmune disorders.

Raul Zamora-Ros, PhD, principal investigator at the Unit of Nutrition and Cancer at IDIBELL, spoke about the potential for high levels of tea consumption to reduce the risk of some cancers, such as breast, endometrial, liver, and oral cancers. While research shows promise in this area, Dr. Zamora-Ros hopes to see more work done to explore how much tea should be consumed to achieve the risk reduction benefit.

With wide-reaching benefits backed by scientific research, experts at the symposium are eager to see continued studies to further understand how tea can be a part of a healthy diet. “Establishing dietary reference intakes for these bioactive flavonoids and tea is absolutely critical,” said panelist Mario Feruzzi, PhD, Professor and Chief of the Section of Developmental Nutrition in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, during a media briefing of the event. He sees an opportunity to leverage the definitive data available today to develop dietary guidance for consumers.