Black tea enhances alertness fifteen minutes after consumption

Background: Although there is an abundance of research regarding the enhancement of psychomotor function following the ingestion of coffee and pure caffeine, the actions of black tea on the reaction time and other tests of psychomotor function have not been researched as extensively. Aims and Objectives: This study sought to find if black tea had any effect on the visual and auditory reaction time in adult males. Materials and Methods: Fifty participants, all from the workforce of the institute, volunteered for this study. The subjects were all male and between the ages of 18 and 25. The baseline reaction time, both visual and auditory, was recorded using an electronic device. The subjects were then instructed to consume one cup (250 mL) of black tea, prepared using a teabag. Fifteen minutes after consuming the beverage, the reaction time was estimated again. Results: It was observed that the reaction time, both visual and auditory, was shortened significantly (P<0.001) after the ingestion of tea in all 50 subjects. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that black tea may possibly have a role to play in improving the levels of alertness in subjects.