Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2002 Feb;21(1):1-13.
doi: 10.1080/07315724.2002.10719187.

The role of tea in human health: an update

Affiliations
Review

The role of tea in human health: an update

Diane L McKay et al. J Am Coll Nutr. 2002 Feb.

Abstract

Tea is an important dietary source of flavanols and flavonols. In vitro and animal studies provide strong evidence that tea polyphenols may possess the bioactivity to affect the pathogenesis of several chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular disease and cancer. However, the results from epidemiological and clinical studies of the relationship between tea and health are mixed. International correlations do not support this relationship although several, better controlled case-referent and cohort studies suggest an association with a moderate reduction in the risk of chronic disease. Conflicting results between human studies may arise, in part, from confounding by socioeconomic and lifestyle factors as well as by inadequate methodology to define tea preparation and intake. Clinical trials employing putative intermediary indicators of disease, particularly biomarkers of oxidative stress status, suggest tea polyphenols could play a role in the pathogenesis of cancer and heart disease.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources