Just some more figures about tea consumption today from our source listed below.
Looks like the wholesale tea business would be a good one to be in with sales tripling to $6,500,000,000 from 1990 to 2006 in the U.S. Yep, that’s billions. And specialty teas sales increased over 250% in the same time period. These are the teas that can start at five dollars for a quarter pound and go up to thousands. Sales are expected to keep increasing at an annual rate of 10% for the next few years. I wonder if that will hold true if a bonafide recession hits?
To show the comeback tea is making in the U.S., our source today used the Park Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C. as an example. They have built a tea cellar that contains over fifty rare varieties of tea and includes Pu-erh. One such Pu-erh from 1985 will cost you $300 for one teapot’s worth at the Park Hyatt Hotel. Ummm-mm!
Source: Gourmet Tea Guide
Filed under Tea by on Apr 7th, 2008. 
Looks like the Experimental Biology 2008 conference liked tea studies yesterday. Findings were presented on two different studies having to do with tea according to our sources. And the conference isn’t over yet.
The findings of one tea study that were presented showed that the antioxidant EGCG, or epigallocatechin-3-gallate, found in green tea significantly slowed the growth of breast cancer tumors in mice. There were two groups of mice with one given plain water and the other group given a EGCG solution. The mice were then injected with breast cancer cells which were left to do their thing.
When the study ended the tumors were sized, weighed and the density and VEGF protein levels measured. The EGCG group had tumors that were 66% smaller and 68% less in weight than the control group. The tumors of the EGCG group also had smaller blood vessels and lower VEGF protein levels leading researchers to speculate that this might be the benefit of the green tea antioxidant – less blood vessel growth and the slowing of the growth of the cancer cells themselves.
The other study’s findings that were presented were a bit more complex, at least in the writing of the findings. The results are from a study by a graduate student at Ohio State University about the effect of digestion on the anti cancer ability, against digestive system cancers, of the catechins in tea. He tested extracts of green tea, black tea and also just the catechins combination EGCG and EGC which are the most active ones found in tea.
For the green tea and the catechin extracts, digestion affected and “significantly reduced” the anti cancer affect as compared to the effect of undigested extracts. However, black tea came shining through showing the same amount of anti cancer effect.
The study also found that the extracts were more effective on colon cancer cells than on gastric cancer cells by twice as much (that’s if I did my math right).
Four results were listed at our source as to what this study could show. Mostly what it shows is that more studies and experimentation will be needed. Some of this information could lead to better formulations of products meant to help combat cancer. It could also help us learn just how best to drink our tea as well. After all, black tea extracts showed no degradation due to digestion.
Whatever will be the bottom line coming out of all these different health studies with tea, what I get is that drinking your favorite tea is a “very good thing.”
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20080407/green-tea-ingredient-slows-breast-cancer
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080407172713.htm
Filed under Tea by on Apr 8th, 2008.
Great news for Darjeeling tea lovers who also prefer organic tea. Well, maybe.
Right now, 37% of the tea grown on the eastern Himalayas is certified organic by European and Japanese agencies. From what I know, these certifications are probably more stringent than U.S. requirements are. In addition, the Darjeeling Tea Association is undergoing an effort to increase the amount of organic tea in the area. Their efforts are centered on turning at least 2 more tea gardens to organic production, a process that takes three years. The organic tea crops is a process that began 15 years ago when being organic offered a real premium.
This will increase the organic Darjeeling tea yield by 13%. Most of the production of organic tea from this area goes to Japan and Germany. Germany, which buys about 50% of the organic and conventional crop, then turns around and sells it to other European countries. The U.S. and the U.K. also buy this organic tea.
However, there may be a little cause for concern for real Darjeeling tea lovers. The article stated that there are 87 tea plantations growing the tea now but they have little room for increasing the crop “substantially” even though global demand is huge. Hmmm, wonder if the tea will become harder to find and more expensive when you do?
Source: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/03/stories/2008040356541900.htm
Filed under Tea by on Apr 9th, 2008.