IT IS the world's most popular drink, enjoyed everywhere from building sites to The Ritz.
But now scientists have discovered that the great British cuppa holds the potential to fight one of the nation's biggest life-threatening diseases.
Ground
breaking research by scientists at Dundee University has revealed that ordinary tea may have the potential to help combat type 2 diabetes, which affects around 200,000 Scots.
The scientists have discovered ingredients in black tea mimic the action of the hormone insulin, which is deficient in people with diabetes.
They say the next step is to establish whether drinking more tea could help treat diabetes or even prevent it occurring in the first place.
The popularity of black tea has declined in recent years as consumers increasingly developed a taste for mineral water, herbal infusions, fruit teas and speciality coffees.
The UK Tea Council claims that despite this decline, 165 million cups of tea are drunk each day in the UK – more than twice that of coffee at 70 million – making it by far the nation's most popular drink.
Dr Graham Rena, an insulin researcher at the University of Dundee's Neurosciences Institute, believes the health benefits of so-called 'builders' tea' may actually surpass those of other drinks, including green tea, which many claim has cancer-fighting properties and can help with weight loss.
In type 2 diabetes, insulin is produced by the body in insufficient quantities or does not work properly. Rena discovered that chemicals in black tea, known as theaflavins and thearubigins, mimic the action of insulin, which helps the body convert sugar to energy.
He said: "The prevailing view has been that green tea is the thing we must have for health benefits. But what we have found is that the substances that mimic insulin action are in black tea. It would be interesting to know what level of tea consumption, if any, can elicit similar effects to those that we have seen in our lab-based studies."
Rena said another option could be to create a pill from purified tea ingredients. "We would like to see these effects in human trials, and I am trying to get other researchers interested. We are hoping this can be made into a treatment."
Current treatments for the condition include insulin injections or tablets to help insulin work more effectively.
Rena's findings, which are published in the scientific journal Aging Cell, were last night welcomed by nutritionists and health campaigners.
Research has linked tea with benefits in fighting heart disease and cancer but until now little has been known about its potential to tackle diabetes.
Carina Norris, a nutritionist and researcher at Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, said: "Tea, green and black, is a rich source of plant chemicals, which have a powerful antioxidant effect. We already know these have a protective effect against heart attacks, stroke and certain cancers.
"The new findings about type 2 diabetes are really exciting, and it's good that the scientists want to carry this research forwards. Type 2 diabetes is a growing and serious problem for Scotland."
Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Diabetes UK, said: "The results could be interesting, but more research is needed before any benefits of black tea for people with diabetes are proven."
Bill Gorman, chairman of the UK Tea Council, said: "Health science on tea has emerged in the past 10 years but little is known about tea and diabetes.
"The science is strong that it makes a great contribution to heart health in particular and four cups a day are recommended for optimal benefits. But it depends on how you brew your tea. If you are a 20-second dunker, you will get less value than a four-minute brewer."
Recently, tea's battle to retain its supremacy has been aided by a string of celebrity endorsements. Victoria Beckham is said to drink Pu-erh tea, a type of black tea, for its slimming benefits. It is also believed to boost metabolism, reduce blood pressure and flush the body of toxins. Supermodels Kate Moss – who is said to drink 12 cups a day – and Claudia Schiffer have publicly backed the beverage.
Former Labour MP and "big tea-drinker" Tony Benn calculated that he has drunk enough tea to float the QEII. And George Orwell said tea was a "mainstay of civilisation".
Experts say that despite the fact the nation's tea drinkers have maintained traditional English breakfast tea as their firm favourite, they are becoming more experimental.
Jeremy Sturges, a master blender for the tea company Twinings, said: "In the UK, people like strong-flavoured tea with good colour, like English breakfast, which is a good pick-me-up in the morning. But they are getting more experimental with tea. So they will have Earl Grey or Darjeeling later on in the day."
Gerrie Pitt, spokeswoman for The Ritz Hotel in London, said customers were prepared to wait two months for a reservation for afternoon tea at the Palm Court restaurant, where for £37 a head they are served their choice from 17 blends alongside sandwiches, scones and pastries, and Champagne.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF TEAVarieties of tea have been cultivated for thousands of years in Asia. According to an ancient Chinese legend, the habit caught on after some leaves blew into a bowl of boiling water being drunk by Shennong, the legendary Emperor of China sometime around 2737 BC.
In Asia, the beverage was regarded as good for health and a symbol of social status for many. And for many centuries brick of tea were used as currency across the Chinese empire. Tea cultivation flourished in India under the British, who imported and bred varieties of the plant after China imposed restrictions on its export to the outside world.
Britain began producing opium in India and forced China to trade tea for opium after the infamous Opium Wars.
In 1956, PG Tips began advertising its brand using the 'Tipps family', chimpanzees dressed as humans and drinking tea. The campaign was replaced in 2002,
A BRIEF HISTORY OF TEAVarieties of tea have been cultivated for thousands of years in Asia. According to an ancient Chinese legend, the habit caught on after some leaves blew into a bowl of boiling water being drunk by Shennong, the legendary Emperor of China sometime around 2737 BC.
In Asia, the beverage was regarded as good for health and a symbol of social status for many. And for many centuries brick of tea were used as currency across the Chinese empire. Tea cultivation flourished in India under the British, who imported and bred varieties of the plant after China imposed restrictions on its export to the outside world.
Britain began producing opium in India and forced China to trade tea for opium after the infamous Opium Wars.
In 1956, PG Tips began advertising its brand using the 'Tipps family', chimpanzees dressed as humans and drinking tea. The campaign was replaced in 2002,
Eating your way to a healthier lifeOTHER SUPERFOODS AND DRINKS
Brazil nuts: Rich in selenium which may help protect against cancer, depression and Alzheimer's disease.
Baked beans: Thought to protect against cancer and heart disease.
Watercress: Could help protect against lung cancer.
Wheatgrass: Contains most of the vitamins and minerals needed for human maintenance.
Açaí berry: Contains antioxidants and essential omega oils, which help the heart and brain.
Blueberries, raspberries and blackberries: Contain antioxidants and vitamin C.
Cabbage: Helps the liver to detox.
Barley: Protects against cancer, particularly breast cancer.
