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American Morning
Does Tea Offer Health Benefits?
Aired July 11, 2001 - 11:46 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: This one was drummed into our heads when we were kids to drink your milk, drink your juice, they're good for you. Well, now as adults, we're hearing the same thing about tea.
Our medical correspondent, Rea Blakey takes a look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REA BLAKEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's the most widely consumed beverage worldwide, after water. Some researchers say there's a growing body of research suggesting tea, plain old black tea, packs positive health benefits . Or is there?
DR. MEIR STAMPFER, HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH: We do not find that tea is protective for clinical heart disease.
BLAKEY: Some recent studies seem to show tea drinking slows the progression of coronary artery disease and reduces the risk for stroke and some cancers. But no studies have shown exactly how tea seems to work inside the body, until now.
The study, paid for by the North American Tea Trade Health Research Association, followed 50 patients with heart disease.
JOSEPH VITA, BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER: And what we found was that after drinking tea, the blood vessel function improved significantly.
BLAKEY: Healthy endothelial cells control blood flow, prevent clotting, and expand when stimulated. Abnormal ones, like those in people with coronary artery disease, become inflamed, causing spasms, clots and cracks in artery walls.
Despite his research conclusion, Dr. Vita warns tea is not a substitute for medications.
VITA: We don't want people to take our results to mean that tea is a treatment for heart disease.
BLAKEY: Previous studies have shown that people who eat diets high in flavonoids are at less risk for heart attack and stroke. Flavonoids can be found in foods like grapes, apples, onions, and black tea. Whether supporter or detractors, cardiologists say much more research needs to be conducted to brew up a direct correlation between tea consumption and cutting coronary risks.
STAMPFER: The main limitation of the study is that it measured what happens in the arm artery of patients. This is quite a long distance and many steps away from actual clinical heart disease.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BLAKEY: As for tea consumption, well, the researchers say if drinking tea has even a small effect on human health, it could have a large impact on public health -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Well, Rea, I'm known around here for enjoying my daily cup of tea. Bill Hemmer used to call it my stinky tea. I think that he moved to nights because he sick of smelling it. But I just drink it because I enjoy it, but when you hear black tea, green tea, herbal tea, how do you know which one is giving you which kind of benefit?
BLAKEY: A lot of that is up in the air. And let me just say, the most important think you probably should remember at this point is the FDA has not supported any of these claims one way or the other. In regards to the heart issues, obviously, there are two different sides to that story as well. The herbal teas, for example, some of them will tout that they support prostate health or for example, they provide essential nutrients for menopausal women. Again, keep in mind, the FDA does not support those claims. So I guess, Daryn, it's a question of what you'd like to drink.
KAGAN: Well, there you go. And I do enjoy it every morning. Rea, thank you for that report. Good to see you. Rea Blakey in Washington.
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