Tea consumption is associated with many health benefits including protection against neurodegenerative disorders, heart disease and viral infections, and stimulation of brain activity, it has also been reported to help diabetes prevention, and has been linked with anticancer properties. This presentation addresses the chemical components in teas that might be responsible for the reported health effects. Although many beneficial effects of tea consumption are associated with the high polyphenol contents of the beverages, the chemical forms of the specific polyphenols differ greatly among tea types, primarily as a consequence of their processing conditions. Furthermore, the wide ranges of beneficial health effects associated with tea consumption, makes it unlikely that all are derived from a single family of chemicals. Therefore, special consideration is given to the search for non-phenolic components in teas with potential biological activities.
