Original title:
Happy Health|1 cup of milk tea = 4 cups of coffee? Latest survey: More than half of consumers do not know that tea contains caffeine
Ji Wei, reporter of Workers' Daily - China Industry Network
In the past few days, netizens have posted "the first cup of milk tea in autumn", but there have also been rumors on the Internet that "a cup of milk tea is equivalent to 7 cans of Red Bull", "a cup of milk tea has a caffeine content equal to 4 cups of coffee", "milk tea can cause insomnia", "a cup of milk tea wakes up until dawn" and other statements, causing consumer concern.
According to the "Caffeine Awareness and Attitude Survey of Chinese Consumers (2023)" conducted by Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center, 52.15% of people do not know that tea contains caffeine.
Half of consumers don't know that tea contains caffeine
The results of "Dietary Caffeine Intake Level and Risk Assessment of Chinese Residents" show that in mainland China, for adult consumers, the highest contribution rate of caffeine intake is tea, tea beverage, milk tea and coffee. The contribution rate of tea to the caffeine intake of mainland consumers was 74.80%, which was much higher than that of other categories. The highest contribution rate of caffeine intake among minors was milk tea, tea drinks, tea leaves and chocolate.
This consumer survey shows that 52.15% of people do not know that tea contains caffeine. In this regard, Zhong Kai, director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center, said that tea and coffee are both popular caffeine drinks around the world. For reasons of "wangwen sheng yi", when it comes to caffeine, consumers can easily associate coffee, but "drinking tea to refresh" is also the role of caffeine.
In fact, tea and milk tea also contain caffeine, but due to the lack of comprehensive understanding of traditional Chinese caffeine drinks, the natural thing of "milk tea containing caffeine" can be repeatedly searched.
Consumers look forward to caffeine "refreshing"
In the wake of the pandemic, more and more consumers are looking for foods and beverages that can affect cognitive performance, manage stress levels and optimize brain function, with caffeine being one of the most promising ingredients.
According to the survey, consumers are most expected to refresh the mind (91.56%), followed by improving sports performance (45.47%), improving response speed (38.75%) and improving cognitive function (36.12%).
Liu Ailing, a researcher at the Institute of Nutrition and Health of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, believes that caffeine can have a variety of effects on the human body, it can promote the release of neurotransmitters, enhance neuronal activity, thereby increasing the excitability of the central nervous system, improving alertness, attention, etc., but excessive intake may also lead to palpitations, nervousness, insomnia, gastrointestinal discomfort and other symptoms, so pay attention to the appropriate amount when eating.
Most consumers are unaware of other sources of caffeine
Caffeine occurs naturally in a variety of plants, such as coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa beans, guarana leaves, yerba mate, and many others.
According to the survey, consumers have the highest awareness rate of "coffee bean extract", at 89.10%, but the recognition rate of other caffeine-containing ingredients is lower. For example, 51.79% of consumers do not know that "black tea concentrate powder" contains caffeine, 63.42% of consumers do not know that "yerba mate extract" contains caffeine, and 76.05% of consumers do not know that "guarana extract" contains caffeine.
Li Yu, chief engineer of the China Food Industry Association, believes that the mainland currently only allows caffeine to be used in some health foods and cola carbonated drinks, but caffeinated ingredients such as coffee powder, tea powder, and guarana extract can also be brought in. These caffeine-containing ingredients are all allowed in their own right, and safety is not an issue, but the recognition rate of consumers is low. It can be considered to standardize the use and labeling of caffeine on the basis of scientific evidence, conform to the needs of the consumer market, so that enterprises can clearly add and consumers can clearly choose.
It is safe to consume 4 cups (standard cups) of coffee per day
According to the Scientific Consensus on Coffee and Health, it is safe for healthy adults to consume no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day, which is roughly equivalent to 4 cups (standard cups) of coffee.
In order to facilitate consumers to control caffeine intake, many countries and regions, including the United States, the European Union, Australia and New Zealand, require that foods and beverages containing caffeine clearly label the caffeine content. According to the survey, 88.41% of Chinese consumers also want to know the caffeine content in food and beverages. In addition, 75.66% of consumers believe that they need to control both the amount of caffeine added in products and their caffeine intake.
Chen Junshi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, believes that from the survey data, many consumers already have a sense of self-control, which is good. Consumer education can be further strengthened, so that everyone can learn to reasonably plan caffeine intake through label information, which not only achieves the purpose of refreshing the mind, but also avoids the health risks caused by excessive intake.
Focus The continent has built the most comprehensive map of human immune cell development for the first time
On September 12, the relevant research results of the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences were published in Cell: for the first time, the development map of human immune cells covering the widest tissue range, the longest time span and the highest sampling density was successfully constructed, and a "new type" of immune cells - microglia was discovered, which will promote the development of immunology and developmental biology.
Focus The national premarital medical examination rate reached 74.8%, and the prenatal screening rate reached 88.7%
September 12 is China Birth Defects Prevention Day. At present, the national premarital medical examination rate has reached 74.8%, the prenatal screening rate has reached 88.7%, the screening rate of newborn genetic metabolic diseases and hearing impairment has reached more than 90%, and various prevention and treatment measures for birth defects have been further implemented.
Focus: How healthy are eggs to eat a day?
For normal adults, it is recommended to eat 1 egg (including yolk) per day.
Pregnancy, lactation, adolescent students, fitness gainers, and those recovering from serious illnesses are recommended to eat up to 3 eggs a day.
People with high blood lipids should pay attention to controlling the total fat intake, of which eggs are recommended to be no more than 1 a day and no more than 5 a week.
Obese people should pay attention to controlling total dietary intake, including eggs.
Focus Remember 6 points to walk without hurting your knees
Liu Qiang, deputy chief physician of the Department of Orthopedics and Joint of Peking University People's Hospital, once published an article introducing a set of "painless walking" tips, through the training of walking posture, give full play to the protective effect of shoes and muscles, reduce the recoil of the knee joint when walking, thereby reducing or even eliminating pain.
Tip 1: Correct the "Outer Eight"
When walking, keep both toes facing straight forward, with your feet at the same distance as your pelvis.
Tip 2: Show the sole
When the front foot lands on the ground, the heel lands lightly and the sole is displayed forward.
Tip 3: Take big steps
Take large strides as you walk with your arms outstretched.
Tip 4: Pedal the ground strongly
When the hind foot leaves the ground, press the ground strongly.
Tip 5: Change to a pair of "good shoes"
Choosing the right shoes, such as jogging shoes, can cushion the ground recoil force when walking, thereby protecting the knee joint. You should check your shoes every six months, and replace them with new shoes if the heel is worn, the heel socket collapses to one side, and the sole or heel elasticity is significantly reduced.
Tip 6: Build your muscles
The muscles in front of the legs, known as the quadriceps, are the muscles that best protect the knee joint. Regular leg hooking exercises can help maintain or even strengthen muscles.
Source: Daily Worker's client