More Than a Beverage: What Tea Means for Health, Culture, and Sustainability

On May 21st, the world marked International Tea Day, an observance led by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to celebrate one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world after water. But tea is much more than a comforting drink in a cup. Across many cultures, tea represents hospitality, community, livelihood, tradition, and increasingly, conversations around health and sustainability.

This year’s International Tea Day observance highlighted an important message: “Sustaining Tea, Supporting Communities.” The theme draws attention not only to tea consumption, but also to the millions of farmers, workers, and families whose livelihoods depend on the tea industry.

Tea: A drink with deep roots

Tea has been consumed for thousands of years and remains deeply woven into social and cultural traditions around the world. Whether it is green tea in East Asia, black tea in Britain, mint tea in North Africa, or herbal tea preparations commonly enjoyed in African homes, tea often represents pause, conversation, warmth, and connection.

In many Ghanaian homes too, tea is familiar. It may be taken at breakfast, during harmattan mornings, while recovering from illness, during social visits, or simply as a comforting evening drink. Yet beyond comfort and routine, tea also carries important nutritional and public health conversations.

Can tea be part of a healthy lifestyle?

Tea can absolutely fit into a healthy eating pattern. Unsweetened tea, particularly black and green tea, contains naturally occurring compounds known as polyphenols. These compounds have been widely studied for their antioxidant properties and their potential role in supporting long-term health.

Research has linked regular tea consumption with potential benefits including:

• Supporting heart health
• Contributing to hydration
• Providing antioxidant compounds
• Supporting alertness and concentration because of caffeine content
• Offering a low-calorie alternative to sugar-sweetened beverages when taken without excessive sugar or creamers

However, context matters.

Tea is not a miracle drink. It does not cancel out poor dietary habits, physical inactivity, inadequate sleep, or smoking. Some social media messaging often presents tea as a detox solution, rapid weight-loss strategy, or cure-all beverage. These claims are usually exaggerated and not supported by strong evidence. What matters most is the overall lifestyle pattern.

A word about sugar and “tea culture”

One important nutrition consideration is what gets added to tea.

In many settings, tea may come with large amounts of sugar, sweetened condensed milk, creamers, pastries, biscuits, or fried snacks. In these situations, the health conversation changes significantly.

A cup of tea itself may contain very little energy, but repeated additions of sugar and highly processed accompaniments can contribute substantially to excess calorie intake.

This does not mean people must avoid enjoying tea traditions. Rather, it is an opportunity to make thoughtful adjustments:

• Gradually reduce added sugar
• Use less sweetened creamer
• Pair tea with fruits, nuts, or healthier snacks when possible
• Avoid depending on highly sugary beverages throughout the day

Small shifts practiced consistently matter.

Herbal teas: Important distinctions

Across Ghana and many African communities, the word “tea” may also refer to herbal preparations made from local leaves, roots, spices, or bark.

Some herbal beverages can certainly be enjoyable and culturally meaningful. Some may also contain beneficial plant compounds. However, it is important to distinguish between traditional use and scientifically proven medical effects.

Not every herbal tea is automatically safe simply because it is natural. Some preparations may interact with medications, affect blood pressure or blood sugar, or contain substances that are unsuitable during pregnancy or certain medical conditions.

This is why responsible communication around herbal products matters.

Natural does not always mean harmless.

Tea and sustainability

International Tea Day also reminds us that tea is connected to broader issues including agriculture, climate change, labour, and sustainable food systems.

Tea production supports millions of livelihoods globally, particularly among smallholder farmers. Yet tea-growing communities increasingly face challenges including climate variability, rising production costs, and economic pressures.

Supporting sustainable food systems means appreciating not only the foods and beverages we consume, but also the people and environments behind them.

As consumers, even small actions can matter:

• Reducing food and beverage waste
• Supporting responsible production practices
• Being mindful of excessive packaging waste
• Appreciating the agricultural systems that make daily foods possible

The bottom line

Tea can be part of a balanced and enjoyable lifestyle. It offers comfort, culture, connection, and potentially some health benefits when consumed sensibly.

But the healthiest conversations around tea are the balanced ones.

Tea is not magic. It is not a replacement for healthy eating, physical activity, sleep, medical care, or evidence-based nutrition guidance. At the same time, when enjoyed thoughtfully, tea can certainly be part of healthy living.

Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of tea is not only what is in the cup, but the pause it creates -a moment to slow down, connect, reflect, and care for both ourselves and others.

Written by Dr. Laurene Boateng (PhD, RD)
Dr. Laurene Boateng is a Registered Dietitian and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Dietetics, University of Ghana. She is the founder and editor-in-chief of Full Proof Nutrition, a Nutrition Consultancy committed to providing reliable, evidence-based, and practical healthy eating advice through its website www.fullproofnutrition.com.  Click here to join Full Proof Nutrition WhatsApp channel to receive more educative content. Send us a mail on fullproofnutrition@gmail.com

Grab a copy of my book on healthy eating – available now on Selar (Buy HEALTHY EATING MADE SIMPLE by Laurene Boateng on Selar) and Amazon (https://amzn.eu/d/6i9OeVb).

References

1. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). International Tea Day. https://www.fao.org/international-tea-day/en
2. FAO. International Tea Day 2026: Sustaining Tea, Supporting Communities. https://www.fao.org/geneva/events/details/international-tea-day-2026–sustaining-tea–supporting-communities/en