On Nutritional and Health Values of Tea

A traditionally acclaimed nutritional, healthy, and delightful beverage, tea is not only popular in China but all over the world. Not surprisingly, abundant claims and published literature appeared in the past, some came with support of animal tests and population studies. They highlight the value of tea on reducing the risk of chronic ailments and promoting human health. This article collected and carefully evaluated the reports on the community intervention trials held in the last decade to summarize their scientific findings. The nutritional, healthful, and medicinal functions of tea on antioxidative activity, cardiovascular regulation, serum lipids and glucose reduction, obesity prevention, and immunity enhancement verified by clinical evidence are presented.