ABSTRACT
Tea has a long history that spans numerous countries over thousands of years. It is one of the most popular beverages consumed worldwide and accepted as a healthy beverage. It has also been introduced to food products as ingredients to make tea foods. Many biological effects of tea have been recognized and investigated over the past decades. This chapter highlights the recent research related to the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity properties of tea foods from the aspects of the effect evidences, chemical composition and biological mechanisms. This chapter also discusses the potential applications of tea in functional foods and provides an overview and up-to-date information for both of the science community and the food and beverage industry.
