Tea Advisory Panel

Turning a cuppa into an occasion this Afternoon Tea Week could also support a healthy heart, blood pressure and hydration too

With Afternoon Tea Week just around the corner (11th–17th August 2025), it’s all too easy for the tea party planning to get out of hand and become stressful. But a new real-world research survey analysed by the Tea Advisory Panel (TAP; teaadvisorypanel.com)^[1] shines a light on the power of tea to ease our anxiety – amongst a myriad other health benefits, including heart health. So, as long as we’re sipping tea while we plan the party, we’ll be helping keep the stress levels to a minimum.

“With 99% of Brits admitting to daily tea drinking, stopping for a cuppa is one healthy habit the vast majority of us can get on board with,” says TAP member and GP Dr Nisa Aslam, adding, “In fact, the TAP-research analysis of over 1,000 British adults revealed that Brits recognise a range of health benefits associated with drinking tea – from reducing stress and anxiety (33%), to boosting hydration (30%), to supporting a healthy heart (16%) and blood pressure (17%).”

Interestingly, a fifth (21%) of those who said they’d switched from drinking herbal teas to drinking more black tea said they did so for the health and wellbeing benefits.

Tea expert, researcher and TAP member Dr Tim Bond comments, “Brits' instincts on the health supporting capabilities of a regular cuppa are definitely on the right lines, as there is extensive scientific evidence to back up these benefits of their regular brew.”

Science behind tea’s health-supporting bioactives
Specific bioactives in tea are believed to be behind the benefits, as Dietitian and TAP member Dr Carrie Ruxton explains, “It’s the polyphenols in tea that are thought to contribute to its ability to support our efforts to stay healthy – from our hearts, to our blood pressure, to our ability to regulate inflammation – while the amino acid L-theanine helps us stay calm and focused.” Dr Tim Bond adds, “We’ve found, through scientific research, that the thearubigins – major pigments – in black tea help to lower blood pressure, improve glucose and insulin regulation, reduce inflammation, improve digestion – and potentially even inhibit some cancer cells.”^[2]

Dr Carrie Ruxton continues, “What’s more, black and green teas both contain the amino acid L-theanine. Brain scans have shown that this increases alpha-wave activity which, in turn, induces relaxation without drowsiness^[3] – a great support to those planning a tea party this Afternoon Tea Week.”

“Green teas also offer important health benefits, as they contain high levels of catechins – a type of flavonoid associated with a wide range of heart health benefits, including regulating blood pressure, blood clotting and inflammation,”^[4] notes Dr Nisa Aslam.

While Brits have good instincts on the benefits of their brew, some of us are a little less clued up on those scientific reasons behind the benefits. For example, just under a third (31%) knew that polyphenols were a plant bioactive and the same number (31%) knew that polyphenols were found in tea – surprisingly more than those who were aware of the polyphenols found in fruit (23%) and vegetables (19%). Additionally, only 17% had heard of the flavonoids in tea.

Knowledge of L-theanine, on the other hand, was even more patchy for those polled. Just over one in 10 (11%) said they knew what L-theanine was while only one in 10 (10%) said they believed it had brain and cognitive effects.

Working wonders for workouts
“Besides direct health benefits, tea can also support us in our efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity, as it’s a source of hydration recognised by the NHS Eatwell Guide.^[5] Reassuringly, over four fifths (83%) were aware of this,” says Dr Nisa Aslam, adding, “What’s more, nearly a quarter of Brits (23%) said they choose to drink tea before working out while two fifths (40%) said they reach for a post-workout cuppa.”

• Brewed black tea – 115 mg per 100g
• Green tea – 54 mg per 100g
• Apples – 9.3 mg per 100g
• Pears – 6.8 mg per 100g
• Raspberries – 5.8 mg per 100g
• Strawberries – 4.6 mg per 100g.