Download An antioxidant at work….

What’s in that cup of tea?
Tea Economy:
Fair Trade Industry
Mission: to create trade partnerships that are economically equitable
and environmentally conscious.
→ Fair Trade is a business practice that strives to keep small farmers an active part of the
world market, as well as, promoting the consumer to purchase brands that support just
values.
→ The Fair Trade economical structure is a mutual advantageous relationship between the
farmers and the consumers.
Economic Goals:
Stabilizing and Increasing the income of farmers
Promoting labor rights
Equal distribution of economic gains
Linking the consumer and the producer
Promoting consumer awareness with issues regarding the producer
Economic Practices include:
-Direct trade relationships and long term contracts between importers and producers
-Higher then conventional market prices made possible by price floors or above market
premiums.
Tea Consumption
Impacts in Our Daily Lives
Social
→ Exposure to toxic materials (lack of protective gear )
→ Unfair salaries / lack of labor unions
→ Housing
→ Health
→ Education
→ Harassment (ethnic/sexual)
Oxfam International. 2002. The Tea Market – a background study. Retrieved from http://www.maketradefair.com/assets/english/TeaMarket.pdf on May 14, 2011.
Sharma, Khemraj. Sociology of Indian Tea Industry. Mittal Publications: New Delhi, India.
Blowfield, Mick. ISCOM: Institute for Sustainable Commodities. Ethical Supply Chains in the Cocoa, Coffee and Tea Industries.
Retrieved from http://www.iscom.nl/publicaties/gmi43blo%5B1%5D.pdf on May 14, 2011.
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Environmental
→ Destruction of wildlife
→ Environmental toxicity
→ Bags are made of corn-starch
→ Transportation requires the use of petrol
→ Monoculture: Habitat destruction, loss of biodiversity
→ Outdated technology = high energy use
Pomerantz, D. 2008. Tea Party. Forbes, 182 (10), 60-62. Retrieved from EBSCOhost on May 13, 2011.
Oxfam International. 2002. The Tea Market – a background study. Retrieved from http://www.maketradefair.com/assets/english/TeaMarket.pdf on May 14, 2011.
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Health
→ High-levels of fluoride
→ Residual pesticide ingestion
→ Excessive ingestion can cause kidney damage
→ Caffeine + sugar
→ Freshness of the product
Cao, J., Zhao, Y., Li, Y., Deng, H., Yi, J., & Liu, J. 2006. Fluoride levels in various black tea commodities: Measurement and safety evaluation. Food & Chemical Toxicology, 44(7), 1131-1137.
Dissanayake, D.M.P.B. Health Hazards Of Excessive TEA Drinking. January 2008. Retrieved from http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2008/1/23881_space.html
* Background Image: http://www.wallpaperpimper.com/wallpaper/download-wallpaper-Green_Tea-size-1024x768-id-14555.htm
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Tea Perspectives
Science, Medicine, and Consumerism
→ Focus on the chemical constituents of tea in cellular, animal, and human models
→ Focus mostly on the most common Western maladies: obesity, cancer, depression, and
neurodegenerative/aging disorders
→ Antioxidants: The New Wonder Drugs?
What are Antioxidants?
→ Antioxidants stabilize highly reactive free radicals by giving electron(s)
→ Free radicals are normal by-products of metabolism, but can also be formed by
irradiation, smoking, UV light exposure, air pollution, and stress
→ Free radicals can cause damage to DNA, resulting in cellular death and tissue injury
→ Accumulation of free radicals is a condition known as oxidative stress
→ It is hypothesized that oxidative stress is involved in the pathology of many disorders
→ The antioxidants found in tea are called catechins, which are a class of polyphenolic
flavonoids
*http://www.amazing-glutathione.com/what-are-free-radicals.html
*http://www.cosmeticscop.com/how-antioxidants-fight-wrinkles.aspx
An antioxidant at work….
* http://www.qiagen.com/GeneGlobe/Pathways/Antioxidant%2520Action%2520of%2520Vitamin-C.jpg
Media and Effective Marketing
Sodas
Fruit Juices
Diet Soft Drinks
Skim Milk/ Soymilk
Unsweetened
Tea or Coffee
Pure Water
* From Lipton’s Company Website: http://www.liptont.com/tea_health/beverage_guide/index.aspx.
The “Real” Published Data
Popkin, BM., Armstrong LE, Bray GM, Caballero B, Frei B, and Willett WC. (2006) A new proposed guidance system for
beverage consumption in the United States. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2006:83: 529-542.