- Drinking tea regularly may help reduce the risk of vascular disease, new research suggests.
- Black tea, drinking 6 to 8 cups of tea per day, and choosing moderate-strength tea were associated with the greatest risk reduction.
- Experts believe that tea consumption alone cannot manage cardiovascular risks. Combining regular tea consumption with avoiding tobacco and maintaining high physical activity may be more effective.
Food choices can have a significant impact on vascular health. Avoiding certain foods, such as those high in saturated fat and cholesterol, can help reduce the risk of heart problems, while drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated can help lower the risk of circulation problems and blood clots.
However, water is not the only beverage that may benefit vascular health. Drinking tea regularly could help reduce the risk of vascular diseases and heart problems.
This is what reveals a new study published in October in the
They found that drinking 6 to 8 cups of tea per day might be particularly beneficial in reducing the relative risk of vascular disease.
Black tea was the most beneficial, but green tea also offered benefits for vascular health.
Those who drank tea regularly had an 11% lower relative risk of vascular disease, compared to those who did not drink it often.
Examples of types of vascular diseases covered in the study include:
Researchers examined data from 485,934 participants from the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB). During a mean follow-up of 9.05 years, there were 14,863 cases of incident vascular disease.
They defined habitual tea consumption as drinking tea at least 3 days per week. Among these weekly tea drinkers, the lowest risk was seen in those who drank about 6 to 8 cups per day.
Moderately strong tea was also associated with the lowest observed risk, compared to weak or strong tea.
Christopher Yi, MD, board-certified vascular surgeon at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, said: Medical news today that he was “not particularly surprised” by these conclusions.
“Tea contains antioxidants and polyphenols that may help reduce inflammation, improve blood vessel function, and decrease oxidative stress, all of which contribute to cardiovascular disease,” said Yi, who was not involved in the study.
“An 11% reduction in relative risk is clinically significant, particularly when considering the frequency of cardiovascular disease. However, this study demonstrates an association rather than proving that tea consumption directly prevents vascular disease,” he added.
In a Science Media Center debriefing, Dell Stanford, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, who was not involved in the study, said:
“Although the lowest estimated risk was seen around six to eight cups per day, we should not consider this a recommended amount. Tea consumption was only measured once, cup size was not standardized, and the study cannot prove that drinking more tea results in lower risk.”
Researchers examined whether the type of tea could affect the risk of vascular disease.
They found that black tea was associated with the lowest risk, with a relative reduction of at least 35%.
Although not as effective as black tea, green tea was also associated with a lower risk of vascular disease.
“Both black tea and green tea contain beneficial antioxidants and polyphenols that may support cardiovascular health. Although black tea showed a greater association with a reduced risk of vascular disease in this study, I would not necessarily recommend switching from green to black tea based on these results alone,” Yi said.
“Differences may be influenced by lifestyle habits, preparation methods and other factors,” he added.
“I generally recommend drinking the type of unsweetened tea a person enjoys, while avoiding excess sugar or high-caffeine tea products.”
Researchers found that the temperature of the tea impacted the risk of vascular disease.
Compared to people who didn’t drink tea, those who drank tea at a “hot” temperature had a 16% higher risk.
The researchers did not obtain information on the specific temperatures of the tea. Instead, the information was based on the subjective perception of the participants.
Yi said MNT“This is an interesting finding because we generally associate tea consumption with cardiovascular benefits. The increased risk associated with extremely hot tea may potentially involve thermal injury and inflammation, although the exact mechanism remains unclear.”
He added: “Since this is an observational finding, we cannot conclude that hot tea directly causes vascular disease. However, allowing tea to cool before drinking is a simple and reasonable precaution.”
In the Science Media Center report, Charalampos Rallis, PhD, reader in genetics, genomics and basic cell biology, Queen Mary University of London, who was not involved in the study, said the following:
“The authors tested many comparisons and some of the more striking findings, such as those on black tea and ‘burning’ tea, should be considered exploratory.”
Because the new research is an observational study, it cannot prove that tea consumption directly reduces the risk of vascular disease.
Other factors must also be considered to promote vascular health. The study found that drinking tea regularly, avoiding smoking and having high physical activity led to the greatest reduction in the risk of vascular disease.
“I think this is one of the most important findings because it reinforces the fact that cardiovascular health depends on several lifestyle factors rather than a particular habit,” Yi said.
“Avoiding smoking and maintaining regular physical activity are among the most effective ways to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Tea consumption may provide additional benefits, but it should complement established preventive measures rather than replacing them.”
“I would like to emphasize that tea can be part of a heart-healthy lifestyle, but it is not a substitute for managing established cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and smoking. The potential benefits are encouraging, but more research is needed to determine whether tea consumption itself directly reduces cardiovascular events.”
Gn Health
