Black,
green, and oolong tea are
the three main categories of tea consumed in the world. Tea
provides a variety of flavonoids and antioxidants as well as a few
micronutrients, in particular fluoride. While there is solid evidence
that tea protects against chemically-induced cancers in experimental
animals, it remains unclear whether tea consumption lowers cancer
risk in humans. Tea also provides some amino acids, of which the
majority is theanine. Recently, theanine has been shown to enhance
innate immunity - the body’s ability to resist infections
- by stimulating gamma-delta T cells and this effect has been replicated
with regular (5-6 cups/day) tea consumption in humans. Tea consumption
may also increase bone density, reduce tooth decay and cavities,
and reduce kidney stones.
The
Panel recommends that 0-40 fl. oz./day of unsweetened tea be consumed.
Caffeine is the limiting factor.
Coffee: Several
prospective cohort studies have observed significant inverse associations
between regular coffee consumption and the risk of type 2 Diabetes.
High intakes of coffee have been associated with significant reductions
in colorectal cancer risk in numerous case-control studies, but
prospective cohort studies have not generally observed such significant
associations. Coffee and caffeine consumption have been consistently
associated with significant reductions in the risk of Parkinson’s
disease in men but not women, which may be due to the modifying
effects of estrogen. Unfiltered coffee should not be consumed—that
is coffee directly boiled.
The Panel recommends that coffee (unsweetened) be consumed
up to 400 mg/day or about 32 fl. oz./day of coffee. Caffeine is
the limiting factor
Caffeine
intake: There are greater amounts of caffeine
in coffee than tea. At this time, in healthy adults the preponderance
of evidence suggests that moderate caffeine intake up to 400 mg/d
is not associated with increased risk of heart disease, hypertension,
osteoporosis or high cholesterol. Some people are more sensitive
to caffeine's effects than others and may feel effects at lower
doses. Pregnancy and aging may affect one's sensitivity to caffeine.
Pregnant women are often advised to limit caffeine consumption
because caffeine intakes higher than 300 mg/d have been associated
with increased risk of miscarriage and low birth weight. Interestingly,
a variety of investigations report an “inverted U”
relationship when a physiological or psychological response is
plotted versus caffeine intake in a graph. That is, the magnitude
of caffeine’s effect is smaller at low and high levels,
but greater at intermediate levels. This relationship has been
reported for the effects of caffeine on exercise performance time,
reaction time, vigilance, information processing and mood state.
See
table below for calorie and caffeine contentprocessing,
and mood state but may not exist for all physiological and psychological
response
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