Habitual tea consumption was associated with a lower incidence 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, documenting tea consumption and subsequent illnesses. Drinking tea at least three times weekly was linked to an 11.2% reduction in overall vascular disease risk, encompassing conditions such as stroke and coronary heart disease. The association was particularly strong for ischemic stroke, for which risk was 36.6% lower.
Consumption patterns substantially influenced the associations. Although median intake was between two and three cups daily, participants consuming six to eight cups had the lowest associated risk. Black tea showed the strongest and most consistent relationship with lower risk, followed by green tea. Researchers attributed this partly to fermentation-derived compounds with anti-inflammatory and lipid-regulating properties. Moderately strong, non-scalding tea produced the most favorable results, whereas burning-hot tea was associated with a 16% increase in vascular disease risk. The protective association was also significantly stronger among participants with obesity.
These findings do not establish causation. Dell Stanford, a senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation who did not participate in the research, cautioned that differences in participants' diets and lifestyles could help explain the associations. Because the study was observational, its results do not demonstrate that daily tea drinking protects the heart. The authors emphasized that tea should complement, rather than replace, a broader healthy lifestyle and established cardiovascular prevention strategies.
