Regular tea consumption was associated with a lower risk of vascular disease in a study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine. Researchers tracked nearly 500,000 Chinese participants for an average of nine years, recording tea intake and subsequent illnesses. Those drinking tea at least three times weekly had an 11.2% lower overall vascular disease risk. The strongest association concerned ischaemic stroke, in which blood flow to the brain is obstructed, with a 36.6% reduction in risk.
Although median consumption was between two and three cups daily, the lowest associated risk occurred among those drinking six to eight cups. Black tea showed the strongest and most consistent association, followed by green tea. Researchers attributed this pattern to fermentation-derived compounds with anti-inflammatory and lipid-regulating properties. Tea also contains polyphenols and flavonoids, whose antioxidant and vessel-protective properties can support circulation. Preparation was significant: moderately strong, non-scalding tea had the most favourable association, whereas burning hot tea was linked to a 16% increase in vascular disease risk. Very hot drinks have also previously been associated with oesophageal cancer.
The protective association appeared across most demographic subgroups but was substantially stronger among participants with obesity. Nevertheless, the authors emphasised that tea cannot independently prevent cardiovascular disease; it should complement a healthy lifestyle and established prevention strategies. Dell Stanford, a senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation who was not involved in the study, cautioned that its observational design leaves room for dietary and lifestyle differences to explain the findings. The associations therefore do not establish that tea itself protects cardiovascular health.
