Tea and Health

Tea and hydration

You may be surprised to learn that a massive 45-70% of our body is made up of water, that is why fluid is essential for life.

It's important therefore to replace fluids that are lost through day to day activities, and why doctors recommend that we drink at least 2.5 pints/1.5 litres of fluid per day to prevent dehydration. Tea, which on average accounts for 40% of our daily fluid intake in Britain, can help you reach the daily target.

To find out more about tea and rehydration, go to our tea fact sheets on our tea health site.

Caffeine in tea

Contrary to popular belief tea does not contain more caffeine than coffee, it actually contains about half the amount compared to instant coffee and a third of filter coffee.

Caffeine is found naturally in many types of food and drink. It's also a stimulant so a cuppa can help refresh you for a demanding and tiring afternoon ahead. We are not aware of any internationally recommended maximum levels for healthy adults but the UK Food Standards Agency has determined that a pregnant woman should restrict her daily caffeine intake to 200 mg per day (or 5 cups of tea!).

To find out more about tea and caffeine, go to our tea health site.

Tea and Antioxidants

The latest research into how we live our modern lives often shows how things like pollution or too much sun can be harmful to us. Intermediates that arise naturally during chemical process, called free radicals, can challenge our normal healthy state. Free radical damage has been implicated in diseases such as heart disease, stroke and cancers.

It is thought that by regularly consuming foods and drinks that are rich in substances called antioxidants that act to 'soak up' these free radicals we can help ensure we have sufficient resources. As well as fruit and vegetables that are  good sources of these substances, you can help increase your daily antioxidant intake by drinking tea. That's because tea is widely known to be rich in a particular group of antioxidants called flavonoids.

For example, there is about eight times the amount of 'anti-oxidant power' in three cups of tea than there is in one apple, and every time you brew up in a cup or a pot for upto one minute you about get 140mg of flavonoids. Who'd have thought something that tastes that good can help maintain your health!

To find out more about tea and antioxidants, go to our tea health site.