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Abstract

Black tea (BT) is a popular beverage known for its diverse phytochemical composition and potential physiological effects. Honey, on the other hand, is a natural sweetener with a rich history of culinary and medicinal use and has long been used for its potential health benefits. This study was undertaken to determine whether a three-day consumption of honey-sweetened black tea (HSBT) will significantly alter the systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and blood glucose (BG) levels in young, healthy female adults. The study was conducted over a 3-day period, involving 30 young female adults. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups (n = 10); Control (250 mL warm water (35°C), BT (2g BT diffused in 250 ml of hot water), HSBT (2g BT+20 ml honey put in 250 ml of hot water). After taking the basal measurements, the subjects were given their designated drinks. BP and HR readings were taken at 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes, and BG at 30 and 60 minutes after consumption on each study day. Data were analyzed using ANOVA at p < 0.05. The study observed no significant change in SBP, DBP, MAP, HR, and BG in BT and HSBT groups compared to control group throughout the 60-minute period of the study on all three days. The results of this study showed that BT and HSBT have no acute effect on BP, HR, and BG level. It can therefore be concluded that HSBT has no detrimental effect on the evaluated physiological modalities in healthy young female subjects.

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