Indian Tea Association (ITA) to highlight health benefits of tea

CUPPA PROMOTES LONGEVITY

The per capita consumption of tea in India is as low as nearly 750 gm per annum though it is the largest producer of black tea in the world.

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Indian Tea Association (ITA) has decided to highlight health benefits of tea to attract the youth and children to consume the beverage. “In 1989, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that one of the major factors to human longevity is to consume more tea and less smoking. So, the ITA has decided to focus on the health benefits of tea to attract youth as well as children,” an ITA official said.

The ITA, the apex and oldest organization of tea producers, will organize various events in schools, colleges and universities as the industry seeks to reach out to the consumers that it believes are fast turning to coffee and other beverages due to their more contemporary image.

“In many countries including Iran and Pakistan, children are encouraged to drink tea instead of other beverages. But the number of children drinking tea, especially in urban India, is relatively less despite the fact that the beverage has health benefits. So we are planning to create awareness about health benefits of tea among school children so that they start drinking the beverage,” the official said.

According to experts, tea is one of the few natural beverages in the world that does not contain salt, fat or any other high-calorie substance. “Tea contains more than 450 organic compounds, and more than 15 inorganic minerals. Most of these components boost health and aid in disease prevention,” a doctor at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital said.

In 2017, the United Nations called upon the tea industry to focus on the health benefits of tea to attract the younger generation to drinking tea. The appeal was made by the working group on global markets analysis and promotion, part of the Inter-Governmental Group on tea under the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO IGG) of the UN.

The per capita consumption of tea in India is as low as nearly 750 gm per annum though it is the largest producer of black tea in the world. The figure is lower than that in Pakistan, where the per capita consumption of tea is about 1.2 kg per annum, and other tea-drinking nations like the UK and Ireland where it is even higher at 1.6 kg and 2.3 kg respectively.

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