Tea drinking linked to lower risk of vascular disease

Summarised from 3 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 06:16 · Archive

Regular tea drinking is associated with an 11 per cent lower risk of vascular disease, though drinking it too hot may reverse the benefit.

A study of nearly 490,000 adults in China followed over nine years found that regular tea drinkers had an 11 per cent lower risk of vascular disease, an umbrella term for conditions affecting the circulatory system including heart disease and stroke. During the follow-up period, almost 15,000 cases of vascular disease were recorded.

The lowest estimated risk occurred at around six to eight cups of tea daily among weekly drinkers. The Mirror reports that black tea showed the strongest and most consistent association with reduced vascular disease risk, followed by green tea. However, drinking tea that is 'burning hot' was linked to a 16 per cent increase in vascular disease risk, and moderate strength was found to be beneficial.

The study, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine, also found that combining regular tea drinking with not smoking and maintaining high physical activity was associated with a 42.5 per cent lower risk of vascular disease.

Experts urged caution about the findings. Dell Stanford, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said the study adds to evidence linking tea with better cardiovascular health but noted it was observational and other differences in people's diets and lifestyles could explain the outcomes. She cautioned against treating six to eight cups as a recommended daily amount, noting that tea intake was measured only once and cup sizes were not standardised.

Stanford added that the study cannot prove drinking more tea caused the lower risk. The NHS advises drinking caffeine 'in moderation', noting that some people are more sensitive to it than others depending on consumption frequency.

How it is being reported

• Study Identifies Exact Number Of Cups Of Tea That Could Benefit Vascular Health MostThere’s nothing quite like a warm brew on a cold, autumnal day. And it turns out Britain’s second-favourite hot beverage could be important for heart health, too. A handful of studies have linked tea drinking and heart health over the years, but a new piece of research found people who drank black tea had a lower risk of vascular disease (VD) – an umbrella term for any condition that affects a person’s circulatory system – than non-tea drinkers. Researchers examined the health of just under 490,000 adults in China for around nine years. During this time, there were almost 15,000 cases of VD.…HuffPost UK · 23 Oct, 06:00
• Regular tea drinking linked to lower risk of stroke and heart diseaseBut only if it's not too hot.The Mirror · 22 Oct, 14:21
• Drinking tea every day has a surprise health benefit, study findsThe temperature you drink your tea may also impact your healthThe Independent · 21 Oct, 08:50

In this story: Dell Stanford · British Heart Foundation · China · Journal of Internal Medicine · NHS · UK

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem