"Infini-TEA and beyond": Tea, exercise and health

In the 1995 original Toy Story movie by Pixar and Walt Disney Pictures, the character Buzz Lightyear voiced by Tim Allen is roped into an "Infini-TEA and beyond" tea party by Andy's little sister. Amazingly, Disney has been identified as a movie franchise obsessed with tea. Although Toy Story was in the top 10 Disney movies with tea as part of the picture, it is eclipsed by seven other Disney movies. While Toy Story had 1.5% of its playing time dedicated to tea, it did not come close to matching the number one movie of Alice In Wonderland. No surprise with a Mad Hatter's tea party that 15.5% of the movie involved tea. Someone has actually counted throughout the movie, you can find 160 teapots and 120 teacups. All of this and Alice never takes one sip of tea! Based on new evidence, taking sips of tea combined with exercise could be beneficial to your health! Being physically active is one of the most beneficial steps a person can take to improve their overall health. Physical activity can improve your mood, boost your energy levels, promote better sleep, control your weight, and help prevent numerous health conditions and diseases such as stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Research has found physical activity may lead to an increase in production of free radicals, a type of particle which can lead to cell and tissue damage. As a result, researchers have been investigating the use of tea, a drink full of antioxidants, which gets rid of free radicals, in combination with physical activity. Tea is one of the most highly consumed drinks in the world. It is second only to water. One of the things setting tea apart from water is flavonoids. Flavonoids can be found in fruits and vegetables and they are known for their anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Past research has found consuming the flavonoids in tea is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and death. Some studies have found combining tea and exercise can help to prevent cell damage and maximize the benefits of physical activity. One study found both tea and physical activity reduce the risk of death as individual components. When tea and exercise were combined, these benefits were maximized. Overall, these studies show regular tea consumption could help to decrease the negative effects of free radical formation during exercise, leading to increased health benefits. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that most adults do at least 150 minutes a week of exercise such as walking, running, or bicycling. It is important to note, there is previous research on microplastics found in certain brands of tea. A more recent study released in December of 2024 evaluated tea bags made from nylon-6, polypropylene, and cellulose. The worst offender for plastics released from tea bags was those using polypropylene in the manufacturing process. The study showed 1.2 billion particles released for every 1 milliliter (0.034 ounce). Cellulose tea bags had the lowest particle release at 1.18 million per milliliter. If you are going to drink tea for the health benefits, it is recommended to use a stainless steel tea infuser or biodegradable tea bags with no additional microplastics. Staying active along with drinking tea can provide significant health benefits, leading to "Infini-TEA and beyond"! Contact ONU HealthWise Pharmacy (419-772-3784) for more information. ONU Healthwise is offering the flu and COVID-19 vaccines. The pharmacy will be opening at 9 a.m. and closing at 6 p.m., but will close from 1-2 p.m. for the required break. Vaccine clinics occur Monday through Friday from 2-6 p.m. Please call for more information. Karen Kier is a pharmacist with Ohio Northern University HealthWise Pharmacy.