The exact amounts of the catechins and theaflavins that are present in any sample of tea, (green, black or oolong) depends on where the leaves are grown and just how the leaves are processed prior to drying. Of course, factors such as the soil the tea is grown in can influence the content of polyphenols. In addition, whether the tea is decaffeinated, blended or freeze-dried (“instant”) and the specifics of its preparation (how much tea is used per cup or glass, how long the tea is left to steep, brew or dissolve, and at what temperature) all affect the resulting beverage’s phytonutrient content. The process of decaffeination removes some of the phytonutrients along with the caffeine (an unavoidable consequence of the chemistry of decaffeination).

Brewed hot tea contains the largest amount of phytonutrients, “instant” teas have lost about 80% of their phytonutrients and “iced” and other ready-to-drink tea products contain even less. Diluting tea with milk, water or ice obviously reduces the amount of phytonutrients contained in each cup or glass. Interestingly, recent studies have found that taking tea with milk may reduce its ability to enhance blood circulation and hinder some of its antioxidant benefits. It’s also important to realize that so-called “herbal teas” really are not “teas” but are boiled decoctions of the herbs used to make them – and they contain none of the beneficial tea catechins or theaflavins, although they certainly do contain beneficial compounds present in the particular herbs.

Tea as a Dietary Supplement

Why should all of this be important to you? It is really important for anyone to remember that even though drinking tea is an extremely healthy practice, cold or hot teas that are prepared from either powdered leaves, loose dried leaves or “bags” are less reliable sources of tea phytonutrients than are the standardized powders used in the dietary supplements of the highest-quality. Standardized extracts control for the level of individual and collective tea polyphenols, and research shows that in order to receive optimal benefits from tea intake, each day an optimal amount of polyphenols should be consumed. This can mean drinking cups and cups of tea daily. In addition, the catechins in high-quality standardized powders are absorbed approx. twice as readily as they are from teas.

When it comes to drinking tea, sometimes enough should be enough! There will always be those days you would rather drink something else. Do not worry about this, combining tea (or even replacing tea as a beverage) with a high quality dietary supplement that is high in catechin, really is the perfect answer. So make sure you look into products that contain the multiple polyphenols present in tea as each polyphenol has unique benefits and together they create synergistic effects.

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