Emergence Of Tea From A Beverage To A Wellness Superfood
First published on The Health Site; contributed by Madhav Sarda, Managing Director, Golden Tips Tea
Anyone can drink tea without having any toxic side effects. And, in a gradually evolving scenario, it is emerging as the new superfood for health-conscious people.
Due to the ongoing COVID pandemic situation, there is a huge resurgence of teas with proven health benefits. Immunity-boosting teas and superfoods with Ayurvedic ingredients like Turmeric, Ashwagandha, Moringa, Tulsi, etc are in big demand. As per a study by Numr Research, about 443 million Indian millennials spend more than Rs 4000 on their health and wellness every month. Both established companies and start-ups have caught on to this trend and have witnessed phenomenal growth. There is an increasing trend globally among people aged between 20 and 45 to shift towards immunity-boosting wellness branded tea. Such a shift would contribute to the growth of the wellness industry in India too. With immunity-boosting teas enriched with Ayurvedic ingredients readily available online and in brick-and-mortar stores, customers are spoilt for choices. So, it would not be a misnomer to say that augmented nutrition will be the mantra in 2022.
Immunity boosting premium tea
In this scenario, the demand for premium teas has increased. These premium teas include specialty and flavored teas that boost immunity and the younger generation are lapping them up. 2022 will see many new normals emerging. Mindful eating and mindful drinking will be a trend, which will be increasingly followed by citizens to improve their health and wellbeing. Mindfulness teaches us how to rely on our body's inherent ability to tell us when we are hungry or full, thirsty or not too.
Tea as a superfood
Now, back to the question of whether tea is indeed a superfood. As mentioned before, although this term itself is mostly used for marketing purposes rather than as a scientific definition, it can essentially be used to describe foods that contain disease-preventing active ingredients, such as the catechins found in tea. So, in this sense, tea could indeed be considered a superfood. For one thing, tea has been associated with the prevention of many of the major diseases that are huge health problems nowadays.
Regular tea intake can lower diabetes, cancer risk
It is known that people who drink tea regularly have a reduced incidence of diabetes and cancer. The exact mechanisms of action by which tea decreases the occurrence of these diseases are not yet fully understood, and some scientists do not believe tea helps to prevent diseases at all, so whether tea can actually fight diseases or not is still under debate. Nevertheless, given that both cancer and diabetes may involve free radicals, it is possible that antioxidant compounds, such as the catechins in tea, do have the ability to block free radicals and help prevent these diseases.
It keeps metabolism kicking
Superfoods are typically nutrient-dense, and so is tea. Along with catechins, tea also has minerals (such as manganese) and amino acids that are necessary for our metabolism. Thus, drinking tea can easily be seen as a good habit for maintaining health and wellness.
Variety, availability makes this a good choice
Most superfoods have one drawback, and that is that they are not easily found everywhere in the world. However, tea is readily found all around the world nowadays. It can be brought from supermarkets and in many other places. There are many varieties of tea to choose from, depending on the tea drinker's preference for aroma and taste. Tea can be easily prepared in any household it is just a matter of adding hot water and maybe a little bit of sugar to mask the bitterness.
Side effects of drinking tea
Anyone can drink tea without having any toxic side effects. Some superfoods have negative side effects when they are eaten in large quantities, but tea does not have this drawback. However, having said all that, everything should be consumed in moderation, and thus, drinking tea should be done with a certain level of balance as well.
