If a warm cup of tea is part of your daily routine, here is some genuinely good news. A large study found that people who drink tea regularly have an 11% lower risk of vascular disease compared to those who do not drink tea at all.
Vascular disease covers a wide range of serious conditions: cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, pulmonary heart disease, and peripheral artery disease. That makes this finding worth paying attention to.
What the Research Found
Researchers led by Dr. Zichen Ye followed 485,934 adults for an average of nine years. During that time, they recorded 14,863 new cases of vascular disease and tracked each person’s tea-drinking habits.
Among people who drank tea at least weekly, the lowest estimated vascular disease risk was associated with roughly six to eight cups a day. That said, the researchers noted that the relationship was non-linear, meaning drinking more tea does not automatically mean more protection.
Black Tea Came Out Ahead
When it came to type of tea, black tea showed more consistent links to reduced vascular disease risk than green tea. So if you are a black tea drinker, that is worth knowing.
One thing to watch, though: tea described as burning hot was associated with a 16% higher vascular disease risk. The researchers did not identify a specific harmful temperature or pin down the biological reason why. Just let it cool a bit before you sip.
Tea Is One Piece of a Bigger Picture
The researchers were clear that tea is not a magic fix on its own. What really moved the needle was combining tea-drinking with not smoking and staying physically active. That trio was linked to a 45.2% lower vascular disease risk.
As the research team put it, habitual tea consumption was associated with lower vascular disease risk, with associations varying by drinking characteristics and intake level and tea combined with not smoking and high physical activity was associated with the lowest risk overall.
So keep enjoying your tea. Just let it cool a little first, keep moving, and skip the cigarettes. That daily ritual you already love may be doing more for your heart than you realized.
