Drinking tea at least three times a week is linked to a longer and healthier life, according to a study from the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. The analysis included 100,902 participants with no history of heart attack, stroke or cancer. Participants were divided into two groups:habitual tea drinkers (three or more times a week) and never or non-habitual tea drinkers (less than three times a week) and followed for a median of 7.3 years. Usual tea consumption was associated with healthier life years and longer life expectancy.
Reduced risk of heart disease
For example, the analyzes estimate that 50-year-old habitual tea drinkers develop coronary heart disease and stroke 1.41 years later and live 1.26 years longer than those who never or rarely drank tea. Compared to never or non-habitual tea drinkers, habitual tea drinkers had a 20% lower risk of incident heart disease and stroke, 22% lower risk of fatal heart disease and stroke, and 15% lower risk of all-cause death.
Regular tea drinkers who maintained their habit in both surveys had a 39% lower risk of occasional heart disease and stroke, 56% lower risk of fatal heart disease and stroke, and 29% reduced risk of all-cause death compared to consistent never or non-traditional tea drinkers .
Type of tea
In a sub-analysis by type of tea, drinking green tea was associated with approximately 25% lower risks of incident heart disease and stroke, fatal heart disease and stroke, and death from all causes. However, no significant associations were observed for black tea.
Green tea is better
Two factors play a role. First, green tea is a rich source of polyphenols that protect against cardiovascular disease and its risk factors including high blood pressure and dyslipidemia. Black tea is fully fermented and during this process polyphenols are oxidized into pigments and may lose their antioxidant effects. Second, black tea is often served with milk, which previous research has shown may counteract tea's beneficial health effects on vascular function.
Difference between men and women
Gender-specific analyzes showed that the protective effects of regular tea consumption were pronounced and robust across different outcomes for men, but only modest for women. dr. Wang of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing see:“One reason may be that 48% of men were regular tea consumers compared to only 20% of women. Second, women had a much lower incidence of and death from heart disease and stroke. These differences made it more likely to find statistically significant results in men.”
