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How you prepare tea can have drastic impacts on heart health
New York Post • • health
Key Points:
- A large study of over 485,000 Chinese adults found that habitual tea drinkers had a 12% lower risk of vascular diseases, with the lowest risk among those drinking six to eight cups daily.
- Black tea showed more consistent heart health benefits than green tea, likely due to differences in post-harvest processing, though both types can be part of a heart-healthy diet.
- Medium-strength tea and drinking tea at cooler temperatures were linked to better cardiovascular outcomes, while consuming very hot tea increased vascular disease risk by 16%.
- Tea’s health benefits are attributed to antioxidants like catechins and polyphenols that reduce cholesterol absorption, inflammation, and blood pressure, but adding sugar or milk may reduce these effects.
- The study’s findings are based on a Chinese population, raising questions about how applicable the results are to tea drinkers in other countries, such as the United States.
