The quality of a tea doesn't depend on the leaves alone. Researchers found out that its roots contribute as much to the taste.
Taste of Tea May Depend on the Plant's Roots
It's common knowledge that the tea plant leaves impart the rich flavors found in fine tea. However, a new study indicates that the bacteria in a plant's roots may also affect how good a cup of tea tastes.
Chinese tea breeders have been perfecting the perfect cup of tea for decades. However, it has been challenging to enhance the flavor of tea only through genetic selection, even with the advancements in breeding technologies.
Microbiomics revealed significant differences in the microbial communities, especially those related to nitrogen metabolism, in the roots of tea plants with different qualities. This information was shared by co-author Tongda Xu, a researcher at the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in Fujian, China.
According to earlier research, these bacteria can impact a plant's capacity to absorb nutrients from the surrounding soil. It also turns out that the plant's ability to produce specific compounds that may alter its taste can be influenced by these nutrients.
In particular, the researchers discovered that plants harboring microorganisms that promote ammonia uptake generate higher amounts of theanine, a substance crucial in determining the tea flavor.
Equipped with this understanding, the group produced a synthetic microbiota that was modeled after the types of microbes present in high-theanine tea kinds. Through the application of these artificial colonies to the roots of other tea plants, the researchers discovered that they could also increase the amounts of theanine in low-theanine kinds.
"The initial expectation for the synthetic microbial community derived from high-quality tea plant roots was to enhance the quality of low-quality tea plants," co-author Wenxin Tang said in a statement. "However, to our astonishment, we discovered that the synthetic microbial community not only enhances the quality of low-quality tea plants but also exerts a significant promoting effect on certain high-quality tea varieties. Furthermore, this effect is particularly pronounced in low-nitrogen soil conditions."
According to the study, tea plants' flavor may be enhanced by artificially created microbial communities, especially if the soil around the tea plants is deficient in important plant nutrients. In addition to supporting nitrogen uptake in other plant species, these colonies also enable farmers to use fewer synthetic fertilizers.
The study offers strong proof in favor of using root microorganisms as useful microbial fertilizers to improve the quality of tea.
Tea or Coffee: Which Is Better to Slow Down Aging?
Tea and coffee are among the favorite drinks in every household. Some are torn between the two as both offer several health benefits. However, between the two, tea is a better option if you want to slow down aging.
Drinking tea is linked to a slower rate of biological aging. Those who often consume green tea have been shown to exhibit this.
Sichuan University researchers in China examined the connection between tea consumption and lifespan using data from almost 14,000 people aged 30 to 79.
"The relationship suggested that consuming around three cups of tea, or 6 to 8 grams of tea leaves per day, may offer the most evident anti-aging benefits," the authors said.
The potential anti-aging properties of tea may be attributed to a number of its constituent compounds, albeit this correlation does not prove causation. Due to its high antioxidant and polyphenol content, tea may help reduce inflammation, eliminate toxic byproducts from biological processes, and accelerate the turnover of cells.
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