It may be beneficial to let your tea cool down before you take the first sip.
Reviewed by Dietitian Madeline Peck, RDN, CDN
Key Points
- Drinking tea may lower vascular disease risk, especially with other healthy habits.
- Tea type, strength and temperature may affect its heart-healthy benefits.
- The study tied drinking “burning hot” tea to higher vascular disease risk.
Often touted for its health benefits, tea is a beverage that’s been around for centuries, dating back to 2700 B.C. The drink was first consumed in China as a medicinal beverage, and it has since become popular around the world. Today, we love tea because it’s easy to make, cozy and can be a good source of antioxidants.
While an unassuming cup of tea might seem like nothing more than how you start your morning or end your evening, it may be doing more for your health than you think. From green tea to black tea, different varieties contain a range of plant compounds that have sparked interest for their potential health benefits. And while tea has long been associated with wellness, researchers are continuing to explore how drinking it may relate to long-term health outcomes. In fact, a new study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine suggests that habitual tea consumption may be associated with a lower risk of vascular disease.
How Was the Study Conducted?
This study followed 485,934 participants from the China Kadoorie Biobank, a large cohort established to support research into health and disease in Chinese adults. Over a follow-up period of about nine years, researchers tracked new cases of vascular disease among participants, which included heart disease, stroke and blood clots.
At baseline, participants completed questionnaires in which they reported how frequently they had consumed tea over the previous 12 months. For those who drank tea at least once a week, researchers collected additional information, including cups consumed per day, the amount of tea leaves used, tea type and drinking temperature.
Researchers also assessed participants’ smoking status and physical activity levels to examine how these lifestyle factors, along with tea consumption, were associated with vascular disease risk.
What Did the Study Find?
After analyzing the data, researchers found that habitual tea consumption was associated with a lower risk of vascular disease overall. It’s important to note that the associations varied depending on several tea-drinking characteristics, including tea type, strength, tea temperature and estimated intake.
Researchers found that among people who drank tea at least weekly, the lowest estimated risk was observed among those who consumed approximately six to eight cups per day. However, researchers noted that this finding should not be interpreted as a recommendation to drink that amount of tea. Instead, it represents the intake level associated with the lowest estimated risk in this study population.
Interestingly, researchers found that tea temperature also appeared to matter. Drinking tea described as “burning hot” was associated with a higher risk of vascular disease. This finding highlights the importance of considering not just how much tea people drink, but also how they consume it, which aligns with previous research that has raised concerns about very hot beverage consumption.
Finally, researchers examined how tea consumption and other lifestyle habits worked together in terms of vascular disease risk. The combination of habitually drinking tea, not smoking and high levels of physical activity was associated with the lowest vascular disease risk. These findings suggest that tea consumption may be part of a broader pattern of health-related behaviors associated with heart health.
How Does This Apply to Real Life?
The results of this study suggest that regularly drinking tea may be associated with a lower risk of vascular disease, particularly when combined with other healthy lifestyle habits, such as not smoking and engaging in regular physical activity. While tea may be one small addition to your daily routine, these findings reinforce the importance of looking at the bigger picture when it comes to heart health.
Tea contains a variety of plant compounds that may help explain its potential health benefits, but drinking tea alone isn’t the same as an overall heart-healthy lifestyle. In addition to enjoying a daily cup of tea, here are some other habits that can help support your cardiovascular health.
- Eat a balanced diet. Incorporating more fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, lean protein and fish can help support heart health.
- Stay active. Physical activity was one of the lifestyle factors associated with lower vascular disease risk in this study. Experts recommend you aim to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week.
- Stop smoking. Not smoking was another lifestyle factor associated with lower vascular disease risk in this study—consider seeking help from a peer group or consulting a healthcare professional if you need support to quit.
And if you’re not currently a tea drinker but would like to incorporate more into your week, there are plenty of ways to enjoy it. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Enjoy it warm or iced. Tea can be enjoyed at different temperatures, whether you prefer a cozy mug in the morning or a refreshing glass over ice. If you’re drinking it hot, give it a little time to cool so it’s not scalding hot when you take a sip.
- Try different varieties. From green and black tea to herbal options like hibiscus, there are plenty of varieties to explore. Experiment with different flavors to find one you enjoy.
- Make a tea latte. If you love a good latte, try making one with tea instead of coffee. Matcha lattes and masala chai lattes are two delicious options to try at home.
Our Expert Take
A new study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine suggests that habitual tea consumption may be associated with a lower risk of vascular disease, especially when combined with not smoking and engaging in regular physical activity. The associations varied by tea type, strength, temperature and intake level, and researchers found that “burning hot” tea was associated with a higher risk of vascular disease. Overall, these findings highlight how tea-drinking habits and other heart-healthy lifestyle factors may be associated with cardiovascular health.