By Fatma Younis
A large-scale study conducted in China has found that the type, strength, and temperature of tea can significantly influence its heart-protective benefits, with black tea showing a more consistent association with lower vascular disease risk than green tea.
Study scope and methodology
Researchers followed 485,934 adults for an average of about nine years, recording 14,863 cases of heart, lung, and brain diseases as well as arterial conditions. The analysis linked habitual tea consumption to an 11 percent lower risk of these outcomes compared with non-drinkers.
Optimal consumption patterns
The lowest risk was observed among participants who drank up to eight cups per day, with the most favorable range at approximately six to eight cups daily among weekly drinkers. Moderate-strength tea was associated with lower risk, while very hot tea correlated with elevated risk.
Tea type differences
Black tea demonstrated more consistent inverse associations with vascular disease than green tea, according to the study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
Temperature considerations
Scalding hot tea appeared to have a contrasting effect compared to the lower risk linked to regular tea consumption, though the researchers cautioned that the findings show association, not causation.
Lifestyle combination
The combination of habitual tea drinking, non-smoking, and high physical activity was associated with the lowest overall risk, highlighting the role of broader lifestyle patterns.
Expert perspective
Dell Stanford, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, who was not involved in the study, said the findings underscore the importance of overall diet and lifestyle rather than any single food or drink.
