Regular tea drinking could reduce the risk of vascular disease by up to 11 percent, according to a new study, though UK experts have urged caution over the findings.
Researchers in China, publishing in the Journal of Internal Medicine, analysed data from 485,934 adults aged between 30 and 79, with varied tea-brewing methods and daily consumption levels. During a typical follow-up of nine years, there were 14,863 cases of vascular disease (VD) among the group.
Study Findings on Tea Strength and Consumption
The findings suggested that moderate-strength tea was associated with lower risk, while "burning hot" tea may be linked to higher VD risk. The lowest estimated risk was approximately six to eight cups per day among weekly tea drinkers, who typically had 2.78 cups per day.
Tea consumption was mostly associated with the lowest risk when combined with not smoking and exercise, the researchers discovered.
UK Experts Urge Caution
Dell Stanford, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said tea drinkers should not assume a daily cup is enough to protect the heart.
"People who regularly drank tea in this study had around an 11% lower relative risk of vascular disease, adding to evidence linking tea drinking with better cardiovascular health. But this doesn't prove that a daily cuppa protects your heart. This was an observational study and other differences in people's diets and lifestyles could help explain the findings," he said.
"Although the lowest estimated risk was seen at around six to eight cups a day, we shouldn't treat that as a recommended amount. Tea intake was only measured once, cup size wasn't standardised and the study cannot prove that drinking more tea caused the lower risk."
Lifestyle Factors Remain Key
Dr Charalampos Rallis, Reader in Genetics, Genomics and Fundamental Cell Biology at Queen Mary University of London, said the study misses some important factors.
"This large study adds to existing observational evidence linking regular tea drinking with lower cardiovascular risk. Tea drinkers differed from non-drinkers; however, the model is not fully adjusted for diet and income," he said.
"The reported risk reduction is relative, and the authors caution that the '6-8 cups a day' should not be read as a recommended intake. The authors tested many comparisons and some of the more striking findings, such as those on black tea and 'burning hot' tea, should be treated as exploratory."
Stanford added: "Importantly, the findings point to the wider role of healthy lifestyle habits. The lowest risk was seen among people who drank tea, did not smoke and were physically active."
"There's no single food or drink that will transform our heart health; our overall diet and lifestyle matter much more. Finally, because this research was carried out in China, we need further evidence before assuming the findings apply in the same way to people in the UK."
Rallis concluded: "A clear message for the public is that avoiding smoking and maintaining an active lifestyle remain the most important lifestyle choices for heart health."
