There’s something brewing in your tea you may not know about: flavan-3-ols. Data shows that consumption of 400-600mg of flavan-3-ols daily (about 2 cups of brewed green or black tea) can help improve blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. Flavan-3-ols are plant compounds found in many foods and drinks, such as tea, berries, craisins, apples, and dark chocolate. True teas — which include black, green, white, dark and oolong — have been found to have the highest concentrations of flavan-3-ols of all foods and beverages evaluated.
For decades, research has consistently demonstrated flavan-3-ols’ ability to help reduce the risk of diet-related conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes by helping to improve blood pressure, blood flow, cholesterol levels and blood sugar. Flavan-3-ols have even been shown to help protect the body’s cells from damage as we age. Read the entire report here.
New guidelines published in Advances in Nutrition have extrapolated data from published research to form dietary recommendations for flavan-3-ol intake. This research and guidance is the culmination of a collaboration between the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Science, an international expert panel, and The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to release recommendations for specific quantities of flavan-3-ols to consume daily to reap health benefits. This is a selection of some of our finest teas to enjoy and have high flavan-3-ol values.