Chemistry of Tea
This is an amazing post. If you like tea, you need to pour yourself a cup, sit down and read the entire article. #worthit #timewellspent
This article was originally post at “Think Science Now” and was written by: Maria Angelica Linton, Principal Scientist
If you were impressed by the fact that a cup of coffee contains around 1,500 chemicals , you will not be surprised to find out that a cup of tea contains almost 2,000 chemical compounds! Many of these chemicals possess antioxidant properties and health benefits, just like in coffee. However, the chemical structure of these antioxidant compounds differ between coffee and tea, just like the chemicals in green and black tea are different, even though they come from the exact same plant.
Americans are drinking more tea and less coffee than ever before.
140 Health and Nutrition
U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2012
Table 216. Nutrition—Nutrients in Foods Available for Civilian Consumption
Per Capita Per Day: 1970 to 2006
[Computed by the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP). Based on Economic Research Service (ERS) estimates of
per capita quantities of food available for consumption from “Food Consumption, Prices, and, Expenditures,” on imputed consumption data for foods no longer reported by ERS, and on CNPP estimates of quantities of produce from home gardens. Food supply
estimates do not reflect loss of food or nutrients from further marketing or home processing. Enrichment and fortification levels of
iron, zinc, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin A, vitamin B6
, vitamin B12
, and Vitamin C are included]
Nutrient Unit 1970–79 1980–89 1990–99 2000 2006
Food energy … … … . . Kilocalories … … … 3,200 3,400 3,600 3,900 3,900
Carbohydrate … … … . . Grams … … … … . 395 421 478 495 474
Fiber … … … … … . . Grams … … … … . 20 22 24 24 25
Protein … … … … … . Grams … … … … . 96 100 108 111 111
Total fat
1
… … … … . . Grams … … … … . 143 151 150 169 178
Saturated … … … … . Grams … … … … . 49 50 48 52 54
Monounsaturated … … . Grams … … … … . 57 61 64 75 77
Polyunsaturated … … . . Grams … … … … . 27 30 31 35 39
Cholesterol … … … … Milligrams … … … . 430 420 400 410 420
Vitamin A … … … … . . Micrograms RAE
2
… . 1,050 1,050 1,100 1,090 940
Carotene … … … … . . Micrograms … … … 560 600 710 690 690
Vitamin E … … … … . . Milligrams a-TE
3
… . . 14 16 17 20 21
Vitamin C … … … … . . Milligrams … … … . 109 115 118 121 106
Thiamin … … … … … Milligrams … … … . 2 3 3 3 3
Riboflavin … … … … . . Milligrams … … … . 3 3 3 3 3
Niacin … … … … … . . Milligrams … … … . 25 29 31 32 32
Vitamin B6
… … … … . Milligrams … … … . 2 2 2 2 2
Folate
4
… … … … … . Micrograms DFE
5
… . 341 383 504 902 874
Vitamin B12
… … … … . Micrograms … … … 9 8 8 8 8
Calcium … … … … … Milligrams … … … . 930 930 980 980 960
Phosphorus … … … … Milligrams … … … . 1,540 1,590 1,690 1,720 1,700
Magnesium … … … … Milligrams … … … . 340 360 390 400 400
Iron … … … … … … Milligrams … … … . 17 20 23 23 23
Zinc … … … … … … Milligrams … … … . 13 14 15 15 16
Copper … … … … … . Milligrams … … … . 2 2 2 2 2
Potassium … … … … . Milligrams … … … . 3,510 3,550 3,720 3,780 3,620
Sodium
6
… … … … . . Milligrams … … … . 1,210 1,210 1,240 1,230 1,150
Selenium … … … … . . Micrograms … … … 133 143 163 179 181
1
Includes other types of fat not shown separately.
2
Retinol activity equivalents.
3
Alpha-Tocopherol equivalents.
4
Reflects new
terminology from Institute of Medicine’s Dietary Reference Intakes reports.
5
Dietary Folate Equivalents (DFE).
6
Does not include
amount from processed foods; underestimates actual availability.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Nutrient Content of the U.S. Food Supply,
1909–2006. Data also published by Economic Research Service, Food Consumption, Prices, and Expenditures, annual. See also
<http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/>.
Table 215. Per Capita Consumption of Selected Beverages by Type:
1980 to 2009
[In gallons. See headnote, Table 217. Per capita consumption uses U.S. resident population, July 1, for all beverages except coffee,
tea, and fruit juices which use U.S. total population (Resident plus Armed Forces overseas), July 1]
Beverages 1980 1990 1995 2000 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Nonalcoholic … … … … … … . 104.0 112.6 107.5 114.8 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Milk (plain and flavored)… … … . 27.5 25.7 23.9 22.5 21.0 21.0 20.6 20.8 20.6
Whole… … … … … … … . . 17.0 10.5 8.6 8.1 7.0 6.7 6.4 6.1 5.9
Reduced-fat, light, and skim … . . 10.5 15.2 15.3 14.4 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.6 14.6
Tea … … … … … … … … . . 7.3 6.9 7.9 7.8 8.0 8.4 8.4 8.0 9.0
Coffee … … … … … … … . . 26.7 26.8 20.2 26.3 24.3 24.4 24.6 24.2 23.3
Carbonated soft drinks … … … . 35.1 46.2 47.4 49.3 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Diet … … … … … … … … 5.1 10.7 10.9 11.6 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Regular … … … … … … … 29.9 35.6 36.5 37.7 (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)
Fruit juices … … … … … … . . 7.4 7.0 8.1 8.9 8.1 7.9 7.9 6.9 7.4
NA Not available.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, Food Consumption, Prices, and Expenditures, annual;
Food Consumption (Per Capita) Data System, <http://www.ers.usda.gov/data/foodconsumption/>.
Taken from: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s0215.pdf
If you are cold, tea will warm you; If you are too heated, it will cool you; If you are depressed, it will cheer you; If you are excited, it will calm you.
Gladstone (1865) Victorian British Prime Minister
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sugarlumptea:
here i am again with another blog full of random information… yay!
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I <3 tea
(via thelast0nesstanding)
You can never get a cup of tea large enough, or a book long enough to suite me. - C.S. Lewis
