How many cups of tea should be consumed in a day?
Tea is a beverage consumed by the masses for centuries. An average tea drinker consumes about three to four cups of tea in a day. Dr J. H. Weisburger, Director Emeritus, American Health Foundation recommends that a regular intake of six to ten cups a day, will contribute to your health and well being.

Difference between black and green tea.
Black and green tea refer to the colour of the tea leaf after processing. Green and regular (black) tea both come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant (a member of the evergreen family that thrives in semi-tropical climates). The difference lies in the way they are processed. Regular (black) tea(like the tea consumed in India) is produced when newly harvested leaves are crushed and exposed to air. This enzymatic process changes the color of the leaves from green to brown, and when dried to black, results in a delicious, rich flavor and color. Green tea leaves are typically heated with steam. This stops enzymatic activity, allowing for the color and flavor to most closely resemble the raw tea leaf. Both Black and green tea are broadly equally rich in antioxidants and have similar health giving properties. Black tea is normally consumed with or without milk but green tea is generally consumed without milk.

How does it compare to coffee?
Tea contains flavonoid antioxidants while coffee contains a different variety of antioxidants. Compared to the extensive studies on the role of tea antioxidants the studies on coffee antioxidants are not many. All studies on flavonoid antioxidants in tea indicate the important role of tea in a balanced diet. Also tea contains about half the caffeine content of a comparable cup of coffee.

Tea and diabetes.
There are scientific research studies conducted on rats on the role of tea in diabetes (A. Gomes, J. R. Vedasiromoni, M. Das, R. M. Sharma, D. K. Ganguly - Anti-hyperglycemic effect of black tea (Camellia sinensis) in rat, Journal of ethnopharmocology, 1994. This study has shown that hot water extract of black tea has significantly reduced the blood glucose level and was found to possess both preventive and curative effects on experimentally produced diabetes in rats.

Tea - for piles.
There are no human scientific research studies conducted on the role of tea in piles to our knowledge.

What is the role of tea in improving bone conditions?
According to a study published in the April 2000 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the study suggests that nutrients found in tea, such as flavonoids, may positively influence bone mineral density (BMD) and that tea drinking may protect against osteoporosis in older women.

Does tea cause acidity.
Tea does not cause acidity by itself, it is not an acidic beverage. Infact research has shown that the hot water extract of black tea possesses anti ulcer activity (S. Maity, JR Vedasiromoni, DK Ganguly - Anti-ulcer effect of the hot water extract of black tea (Camellia sinensis), Journal of Ethnopharmocology, 1995).

How much milk and sugar should be added so that the antioxidant properties are not destroyed?
Research Studies conducted so far indicate that consumption of tea results in increased antioxidant activity in the body, and that the addition of milk to tea does not affect these increases. Hence one can add milk to tea according to their preference and be sure to gain all the antioxidants present. In a study done in UK it has been seen that a standard addition of 10-15% milk did not influence plasma antioxidant activity (R. Leenen, AJC Roodenburg, JBM Tijburg and SA Wiseman - A single dose of tea with or without milk increases plasma antioxidant activity in humans, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2000). Nothing has been known against adding sugar to taste except in case of diabetes.

Elaborate on the antioxidants present in tea.
Tea is one of the richest natural sources of antioxidants. In test tube studies, results show that the flavonoids in tea are more powerful antioxidants than the commonly recognized antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene, found in many fruits and vegetables. It is important to remember that tea is not a substitute for fruits and vegetables, as they provide a range of essential nutrients. Drinking tea in a diet with a combination of fruits and vegetables is a refreshing way to health.

Which kind of tea gives the best anti oxidants?
All teas made from the Camellia Sinensis plant are good sources of antioxidants.

What are the different types of tea?
Basically there are two types of tea - Green Tea and Black Tea. The green leaf or the raw material is the same for these varieties of tea. There are three types of Black tea manufacture - CTC, Orthodox and Legg Cutt. In India, 99% of total tea production is in the form of black tea. Out of the total black tea production, CTC constitutes over 85% and the balance is orthodox. In the world scenario Green tea constitutes about 22%. In the Black tea segment, CTC constitutes about 45%.

What are their physical appearance? Is "Leaf tea" better than than "granules tea" or "dust tea"?
Appearance wise, these are three different types of tea and quality has little association with these. Depending upon the consumers' choice and preference these are marketed.

Where is tea produced in India?
Assam, Dooars, Darjeeling, Terai, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Kerala etc.

Who are qualified for ITA membership?
Only tea companies having tea plantations in India.

Is Tea good or bad for health?
Reports from a lot of research studies are now coming out which clearly indicate that tea has numerous health benefits.

What is the importance of Tea in the national economy?
An eco- friendly industry. The tea industry employs more than one million workers. About ten million people depend on the industry for livelihood. The tea industry provides a substantial amount of revenue to the nation as well as the state exchequers. The industry earns substantial foreign exchange. A lot of ancillary industries are associated with the tea industry like packaging, jute, transport, fertilizer, coal and petroleum etc. The industry is involved in a lot of social welfare activities which are highly commended by the government and the people. For example, the industry is consciously implementing family welfare programs among its workforce, an effort whole- heartedly supported by ITA's own workforce, The Tea Board and the United Nations.