Tea Blog

We begin this latest look at unusual tea research with a study that may not be especially strange, but is certainly interesting. It is often assumed that studies on tea compounds such as catechins and EGCG are relatively recent developments. However, research into these compounds dates back much further. One early example is The Catechins of Green Tea, published in 1947, which you can explore in this Journal of the Chemical Society paper examining catechins in green tea.

More recently, researchers at Northwestern University have explored plant-derived polyphenols as antibacterial coatings. As described in this report on polyphenol-based antibacterial coatings derived from tea and other foods, such materials could be used in medical devices, food packaging, and water purification systems. Tea, along with red wine and cacao, has been identified as a promising source for these compounds.

Looking further back, to 1912, we encounter one of the more unusual studies: Notes of a Case of Deafness Caused by Excessive Tea-drinking. Details can be found in this early twentieth-century medical case report linking excessive tea consumption to hearing issues. In the study, a patient reported heavy tea consumption and experienced hearing problems that appeared to improve when tea intake was reduced.

An even earlier investigation explored the survival of bacteria in tea. The study The Survival of B. Typhosus in Milk when Used in Ordinary Breakfast-Table Coffee and Tea examined whether heat from tea or coffee could destroy harmful organisms. Findings from this historical study on bacterial survival in tea and milk mixtures suggested that while heat alone could eliminate bacteria, the presence of milk could reduce that effect.

These examples highlight the long history—and occasional oddity—of scientific research involving tea, spanning practical health concerns to more unusual case studies.

See more of William I. Lengeman’s articles in this archive of tea research and commentary by the author.

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