UNITY BRANDS GROUP

This document features Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about tea, and a response to each. For more information, please visit www.dilmahtea.com or email us on info@dilmahtea.com.

Why is Ceylon Tea different?

Tea originated in China, as legend has it, 5,000 years ago, yet it was Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) that made tea famous in the 19th and 20th Centuries, as the tea that was used by almost every major tea brand. Ceylon Tea is prized for its quality which is without parallel, and its variety which is unmatched for a small island boasting dramatically different teas in different parts of its tea growing regions.

In assessing the value of Ceylon tea, some of the properties which tea experts take into consideration are appearance of the made tea, colour of the infused leaf, as well as color, strength, quality, aroma and flavour of the brewed liquor. The ultimate criterion of a 'good quality' tea is however the the subjective assessment of expert professional tea tasters.

Distinguishing itself as the 'Best in Class' producer of tea, with a well documented heritage in tea, Ceylon, or Sri Lanka stands out amongst tea producers. The Low Grown teas produced in Sri Lanka below 2000-ft sea level, are known for their superior leaf appearance, highly valued in the Middle East, the coppery 'infused leaf' and its strong & reddish brewed liquor. Sri Lankan low growns are prized for their appearance -'uniformly black', true to grade and devoid of fibre and extraneous matter. The High Growns, above 4000-ft sea level, on the other hand are known for their bright, coloury, brisk and aromatic liquors. High grown Ceylon teas do not share the dense, black color of the quality low grown leaf being browner in leaf appearance, but have unsurpassed liquors ranging from light, bright golden colour to deep red.

In Ceylon, particular emphasis is laid on the quality of tea, and this is determined by a complex of parameters, the correct balance of which is the quintessence of tea character. The appearance of the leaf (dry leaf after processing) is determined by the content of chlorophyll in the young and tender leaves of the tea shoot. The relative amounts of the polyphenols present in tea, the polyphenol oxidase (enzyme), the theaflavins, thearubigins, caffeine, essential oils, sugars, amino acids in the bud and the first two tender leaves will all contribute to the quality of the brewed liquor in a positive way. Hence the importance of traditional and disciplined picking of teas in Ceylon. The best raw material handled under poor conditions of manufacture would produce a poor quality tea. It is through attention to detail in field practices as well as in manufacture, that Sri Lanka retains its position as the Best in Class' producer of Quality Tea, considered by the Technical Committee of the ISO as the cleanest tea in the world.

How much caffeine is there in tea?

Caffeine from natural sources has been consumed and enjoyed by humans throughout the world for centuries. The widespread natural occurrence of caffeine in a variety of plants undoubtedly played a major role in the long-standing popularity of caffeine incorporated products, especially the beverages.

The human body requires a certain amount of caffeine and research indicates that up to 10 - 12 cups of tea daily will not have any detrimental effect on the body. The species or the variety of the tea plant determines content of caffeine in tea, as it is a genetic feature. Camellia Sinensis, the variety that is grown in Sri Lanka has caffeine levels of approximately 2.5 - 4%. However the distribution of caffeine in the plant depends on the part of the plant it is derived from.

For example:

Bud 4.70 %

First leaf 4.20 %

Second Leaf 3.50 %

Third Leaf 2.90 %

Upper stem 2.50 %

Lower stem 1.40 %

Both tea and coffee contain the methylated xanthines, caffeine, theophylline and theobromine. Brewed coffee is said to have the highest caffeine content among those dietary items containing caffeine- approx. 100 mg per cup. A 300-ml bottle of cola has 30- 60-mg caffeine and approx. 37-mg caffeine is there in 56g dark chocolate bar. There are a wide variety of drug products that contain caffeine- typically 200 mg per tablet or capsule (pharmacologically active dose of caffeine). A cup of tea has approx. 28 –44 mg caffeine- (FDA 1980).

The quantity of caffeine in tea, on dry solids basis, is more than the quantity of caffeine in an equal weight of dried coffee beans. However, as a result of getting more cups of tea from a unit quantity of black tea than from an equal quantity of ground coffee beans, the quantity of caffeine per cup of tea is less than the caffeine in an equal cup of coffee.

Excessive caffeine is said to have adverse effects on the human system and brewed tea has only half the caffeine levels in brewed coffee. However, it is important to note that research proves that the presence of caffeine in tea does not produce unhealthy results due to its combination with tea polyphenols.

How much caffeine is considered safe?

The Food Guide to healthy eating recommends caffeine consumption in moderation. According to the current findings for most people an intake of caffeine up to 400-450 mg per day does not increase the risk of heart disease, hypertension or have an adverse effect on pregnancy or the foetus. This level of caffeine is equivalent to approximately 10 to 12 cups (170 ml) of tea per day.

As explained by Prof. T. W. Wickremanayake (Ph D Glasgow, Visiting Research Fellow Glasgow, Wisconsin and California) the pharmacologically active dose of caffeine is 200 mg and the acute fatal dose is about 10,000 mg. Those who drink more than 5 cups of coffee or 9 cups of tea are regularly consuming 5% of the fatal dose. The T 1/2 of caffeine is about 3 hr. It is excreted quickly in urine as 1-methyl uric acid.

Prof. Wickramanayake also states the following. “There is a positive association between Myocardial infarction and heavy coffee consumption, whereas the correlation between infarction and heavy tea drinking is negative. In rats and rabbits maintained on atherogenic diets, caffeine increases serum lipid concentrations and therefore the incidence of atherosclerosis. Coffee has the same action but not decaffeinated coffee. Tea has the opposite effect to caffeine alone or caffeine in coffee. Similar results have been reported in a study of human subjects with and without heart ailments. Russian scientists have demonstrated that a course of tea consumption improved the condition of atherosclerotic patients. The alleged adverse effects of caffeine are apparently eliminated in tea either by a modification of its activity by other constituents, or by the opposing action of some anti-atherosclerotic constituent."

Does green tea have the same Caffeine level as black tea?

Green tea, as well as Oolong tea & Black tea, are produced from the herb Camellia Sinensis. They all contain the same amount of caffeine. Caffeine content in a cup of tea is 2.5% to 4%, which is about a third of that in coffee. It is claimed that 80% of the caffeine in tea remains unabsorbed by the human body. From the above you would realise that Green tea, Oolong tea & Black tea may taste different but the caffeine content is the same.

Why should one never reboil water when brewing tea?

Taste, color and mouth feel depend on the interaction between the two main components of tea, polyphenols and caffeine. Each component is astringent on its own, but as a complex the astringent character is reduced.

Water is known to contain dissolved gases absorbed from the air. Carbon dioxide (CO2)gas that is present in water affects the acidity. Acidity of water plays a critical roll in the ionization of tea polyphenols and it contributes to the stability of the above complex. CO2 in water is gradually released during the boiling process. Re-boiling will in fact further reduce CO2 levels, resulting in a decrease in the acidity. As mentioned above this will affect the caffeine and polyphenol complexion, and bring about changes in the colour as well as the character of the brew.

Twice boiled water will therefore affect the taste of a good tea and hence our request that only freshly boiled water is used for brewing Dilmah tea.

What is decaffeinated tea?

For teas to be labelled decaffeinated, the caffeine content should not exceed 0.4% by dry weight, which is equivalent to approximately 4 mg of caffeine per 170 ml serving.

The process of decaffeination extracts the caffeine in tea. The current commercially available methods for decaffeinating black tea are solvent based extraction using ethyl acetate or methylene chloride, and extraction using supercritical (solid) carbon dioxide. All three methods extract caffeine with minimum effect to the quality of tea.

What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants are components which help to protect cells from harmful “free radicals”, known as oxidants. Free radicals occur naturally in the body as a byproduct of the respiration process and can bring about cell damage. Antioxidants help to prevent this cell damage, which can contribute to ageing and a number of chronic diseases, including cancer and heart disease and strokes.

Are the antioxidants in green and black tea the same?

It was thought until comparatively recently that green tea was the most effective antioxidant-containing tea and that green-tea catechins (the unoxidized polyphenols present in tea leaf) alone were the antioxidants giving tea its health-giving attributes. It is now well known that the theaflavins and thearubugins produced by the condensation of oxidized catechins, during the fermentation stage of black tea manufacture, are equally effective antioxidants (Leung et al 2001).

The catechins present in tea flush and as such in green tea are:

 Expressed as a % of dry weight

 Epicatechin 1 - 3%

 Epicatechin gallate 3 - 6%

 Epigallocatechin 3 - 6%

 Epigallocatechin gallate 9 -13%

 Catechin 1 - 2%

 Gallocatechin 3 - 4%

During manufacture of Black Tea these catechins get oxidized & polymerized(condensed), for example :

Epicatechin + Epigallocatechin gallate + Oxygen ---> Theaflavin

The paired catechins as they appear in Black Tea are now known to be equally effective antioxidants. The body produces free radicals (FRs) under certain conditions. Carcinogens and radiation from the environment facilitates the formation of FRs. These FRs within the body cause oxidative changes to DNA (the genetic material present in all cells). Changes to DNA carry the risk of cancers. The FRs are inhibited and destroyed by the antioxidants in tea, both green and black tea.

Green and black tea comes from Camellia Sinensis. Green tea is unfermented, steamed immediately after plucking, and retains a lighter colour and flavor. Black tea is allowed to ferment and is then dried, resulting in a darker leaf color and a more flavor and aroma.

Tea and Oral Health?

Tea contains fluoride and therefore drinking tea makes a significant contribution to daily fluoride intake and the reduction of tooth decay. It has been found that not only fluoride but the polyphenols in tea also act to reduce tooth decay. Recent studies have further revealed that tea inhibits the growth of other harmful microorganisms in the oral cavity.

Tea and Stroke?

Many in vitro studies have demonstrated the anti-oxidant properties of both black and green tea, as well as the antioxidant activity of the polyphenols in tea. Further studies have shown that these anti-oxidant components of tea are absorbed into the blood circulation from the digestive tract and act as anti-oxidants in body systems. These findings indicate that tea drinking helps to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer, common degenerative diseases.

Tea for Healthy Aging and Longevity?

Researcher Dr Weisburger concludes from recent studies that six or more cups of tea per day helps healthy aging. Tea can restore elasticity to the skin, and tests have shown that it enhances memory.

In populations where regular tea drinking is a part of the lifestyle, as in Japan and India, individuals are likely to live to an advanced age in good health. Also, experimental studies indicate that animals given dietary antioxidants, including tea, live longer.

Can tea be part of a healthy adult’s daily fluid intake?

As brewed tea contains almost 98% water it makes a healthy contribution to the delay fluid balance. Tea contains no additives or artificial colours. Research indicates possible antioxidant benefits so drinking tea can be a calorie-free way to increase intake dietary antioxidants.

When Tea is not TEA?

Green Tea, Oolong tea, Black tea, Decaffeinated Black & Green Tea, the Green tea component in Jasmine Green tea, and Organic tea are derived from the tea plant, Camellia Sinensis. Many brands use the word ‘tea’ loosely since ‘tea’ refers only to the dried leaves of the plant Camellia Sinensis, and does not include infusions like Rooibos, Mate, Fruit and other herbal infusions. The term  Red Tea, recently associated with Rooibos, for example refers to the herb from the South Africa shrub Rooibos (meaning Red Bush).

The traditional forms of tea are White Tea (see below for details), Green Tea (unfermented), Oolong Tea (partially fermented) and Black Tea (fully fermented). These offers the health benefits associated with tea whilst others such as Rooibos, Mate, fruit and other infusions usually do not, although they may have their own specific benefits.

What is White Tea?

Sri Lanka traditionally produces one of the world’s finest white teas in the form of Silver Tips and Golden Tips, entirely handmade from a special variant of the Camellia Sinensis plant, untouched by machines and prized for their rarity and subtle character. The Chinese also have a tradition of producing fine White Teas.

In the production of white tea the 'bud' is selectively plucked and sun dried. Since the Bud remains undamaged the Catechins or the un-oxidised Polyphenols present remain intact. What we refer to as Flavonoids in tea, or the antioxidants in tea, include the unoxidised Polyphenols or Catechins as in Green Tea and White Tea, as well as the Theaflavins and low molecular Thearubigins in conventional Black Tea. The Catechins (Flavonoids) content in the tea becomes progressively less as we go down from the Bud to the mature leaves in a tea shoot. The bud has the highest catechin content, next the first leaf, followed by the second leaf and so on.

The sun dried buds or White Tea are therefore likely to have a higher Flavonoid or Antioxidant property. Further, since the bud is sun dried (not subjected to high temperature in a drier) even the vitamin content in the White Tea will remain high and potent. So will be the Caffeine content. It has been already shown that the bad effects of caffeine is nullified in Tea by the presence of the Polyphenols in the tea (unlike in coffee and the colas). Hence the White Tea will have greater nutritive and therapeutic value than the conventional black tea.