The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) will conduct extensive research on the health benefits of tea and explore Ayurvedic applications of the beverage, Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on December 21.
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The extracts of tea in the Ayurvedic line of medication and treatment would help add value to tea tourism in Assam and elsewhere in India, he said during the signing of a memorandum of understanding between AIIA and the Andrew Yule and Company Ltd. (AYCL) in New Delhi.
A government of India enterprise, the AYCL has seven tea estates in Assam.
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“The collaboration is set to unroll the possibility for Assam towards becoming a new destination of healing tourism in the South East Asian region,” he said.
According to the agreement, an expert team from AIIA would collect tea samples from the AYCL estates for undertaking necessary lab research. The AIIA would then analyse AYCL-sourced teas from the perspective of AIIA and their benefits on human health.
The AYCL gardens in Assam include the flagship Khowang and Tingkhong Tea Estates in the Dibrugarh district, Hoolungooree Tea Estate in the Jorhat district, and Murphulani Tea Estate in the Golaghat district.
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“Traditionally, tea has many proven health benefits which must be studied scientifically. The agreement between AIIA and AYCL is an attempt to scientifically catalogue the various health benefits of tea as well as explore possibilities of its application in providing Ayurvedic medicine,” Mr. Sonowal said.
He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the government’s push for empowering traditional knowledge of medicines with scientific validation through the research and development approach.
“Tea has been consumed by the indigenous people of Assam for centuries, both for its taste and healing touch. One of the mainstays of Assam, tea is set to unlock its potential as a natural ingredient for Ayurvedic formulations aimed at enriching the quality of lives of the people,” he said.