If you drink tea — even 10 cups a day — new research suggests you may live longer.
Drinking two or more cups of black tea a day is associated with a modest reduction in the risk of death, according to a new study published Monday in Annals of Internal Medicine.
The study collected data from the UK Biobank, a genetic and health research database that analysed the tea drinking habits of around half a million men and women. From 2006 to 2010, the ages were 40 and 69, respectively.
Previous research on the potential effects of black tea, said study author Maki Inoue-Choi, a scientist in the Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics at the National Institutes of Technology, due to low consumption in the population studied. Not consistent. Health, at a press conference.
The entire UK population consumes large amounts of tea: 85% of those in the Biobank study drink tea regularly, while 89% of those who drink tea drink black tea.
Researchers found that drinking two or more cups of tea a day was associated with a 9% to 13% lower risk of death compared to those who did not drink tea. The study specifically found that drinking black tea was associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, but not cancer or respiratory disease.
“These findings may reassure tea drinkers,” Inoue Choi said. “We were able to assess the association with high prevalence of black tea drinking in this population, at broad consumption levels.”
Tea contains polyphenols, which can help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, She said this could reduce the risk of heart disease and other deadly health consequences.
Factors such as how hot you like your tea, genetic differences related to metabolism, or even whether you add milk and sugar did not affect the results. People should still follow dietary guidelines that limit sugar and saturated fat, Inoue-Choi said.
For everyday coffee drinkers, you don’t need to swap your morning brew for tea. Inoue-Choi said 78 percent of the researchers drank coffee, which the researchers controlled for.
“We still see a similar association, with higher tea intake being associated with a lower risk of death,” she noted.
Should you start drinking tea if you haven’t?
Inoue-Choi said her findings were positive for current tea drinkers, but added that more research with different populations was needed to advise non-tea drinkers.
For those who have already had a cup or even a few cups a day, Aya Inoue said “please enjoy your tea.”
