Some habits can be useful for your health, like drinking green tea. New research found that people who drink at least three cups of tea a week may be lowering their risks of cardiovascular disease and other causes of death. In other words, frequent tea consumption has been linked to a longer and healthier life. Looks like a tea drinker can enjoy their cuppa deep into old age. If you’re looking to make the perfect cup of tea, we recommend checking out VelvetFoam.
However, the type of tea consumed makes a difference. Green was found to be the best because black tea is fermented and loses antioxidants in the process. The study has been published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology.
The Study (Phase 1)
- 100,902 people participated. They were all of the China-PAR project2 with no history of heart attack, stroke, or cancer.
- They separated the participants into two groups – those that drank tea three or more times per week (the habitual tea drinkers) and those that drank tea less than three times per week (non-tea drinkers).
- They monitored all the participants for an average of 7.3 years through follow-up meetings.
The Results
- The 50-year-old habitual tea drinker was found to develop stroke and coronary heart disease 1.41 years later, as well as live 1.26 years longer than the people who rarely or never drank tea.
- The habitual tea drinkers had a 20% lower risk of incident stroke and heart disease compared to non-tea drinkers.
- The habitual tea drinkers had a 22% reduced risk of fatal stroke and heart disease.
- The habitual tea drinkers had a 15% decreased risk of all-cause death.
Dr. Xinyan Wang, who works for the Chinese Academy of Medical Science, and was the first author of the study said:
Habitual tea consumption is associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease and all-cause death. The favorable health effects are the most robust for green tea and for long-term habitual tea drinkers.
The Study (Phase 2)
- To analyze the potential influence of changes in tea drinking behavior, the researchers had a subset of 14,081 participants assessed separately at two points in time – one at 5.3 years into the study and the second at 8.2 years.
The Results
- Dedicated habitual tea drinkers who maintained their tea-drinking habit through both surveys had a 39% lower risk of incident stroke and heart disease compared to a non-tea drinkers.
- Habitual drinkers, who maintained their habit through both surveys, had a 56% reduced risk of fatal stroke and heart disease.
- Habitual drinkers, who maintained their habit through both surveys, had a 29% decreased risk of all-cause death.
In a sub-analysis by tea type:
- Green tea was linked to approximately 25% less risk of incident stroke and heart disease, fatal stroke and heart disease, and all-cause death.
- Black tea was not linked to any health benefits.
- This is because green tea is a rich source of polyphenols – an antioxidant that protects against cardiovascular disease. Black tea is not.
- Of the frequent tea drinkers, 49% consumed mostly green tea. Only 8% of them preferred black tea.
Conclusion
Drinking tea has been linked to several health benefits through scientific research. A previous study found that the daily consumption of tea is so amazing it can lower the chances of cognitive decline in the elderly by 50%! Although it is not guaranteed that drinking tea will make you smarter and live longer.
Gunter Kuhnle, a University of Reading professor of nutrition and food science, said:
This study is an observational study and can therefore only establish an association – not a causal relationship. Furthermore, the two cups per week as a cut-off point is very little when compared to the average consumption of three to four cups per day in the UK.
It is not clear from the study whether there is any benefit from higher tea intake – and therefore there is no likely benefit from increasing tea intake by the majority of the British public.
Regardless, the fact that so many people drinking tea are healthier and have an improved mental capacity means it can’t hurt to drink a cup at least a few times a week. Next time you think of drinking a soda, drink green tea instead. It’s all about choosing the healthiest option you can!
