Study of tea drinkers in the UK suggests health benefits for black tea

A prospective study of half a million tea drinkers in the United Kingdom has shown that higher tea intake was associated with a modestly lowered risk of death.

Study suggests health benefits for black tea. Photo: petr sidorov/Unsplash

The study, led by researchers at the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, is a large and comprehensive analysis of the potential mortality benefits of drinking black tea, which is the most common type of tea consumed in the U.K.

Past studies finding a modest association between higher tea intake and lower risk of death have mainly focused on Asian populations, who commonly drink green tea. Studies on black tea have yielded mixed results.

In the new study, the researchers found that people who consumed two or more cups of tea per day had a 9% to 13% lower risk of death from any cause than people who did not drink tea. Higher tea consumption was also associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, and stroke.

The association was seen regardless of preferred tea temperature, the addition of milk or sugar, and genetic variations affecting the rate at which people metabolize caffeine.

The findings suggest that black tea, even at higher levels of intake, can be part of a healthy diet, the researchers wrote.

The study involved 498,043 men and women between ages 40 and 69 who participated in a large cohort study called UK Biobank. The participants were followed for about 11 years, and death information came from a linked database from the UK National Health Service. (National Institutes of Health)

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Study confirms benefit of supplements for slowing age-related macular degeneration

The Age-Related Eye Disease Studies established that dietary supplements can slow progression of age-related macular degeneration.

Weather factors key to ‘predicting’ dengue outbreaks

Weather plays key role in the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.

Peanut Skins: More than Meets the Eye

America's fondness for peanuts accounts for 65 percent of all U.S. nut consumption. Per person, that equates to nearly 8 pounds of goobers annually.

Yogic Breathing Affects Cerebrospinal Fluid Dynamics During Breathing Practice

Practicing yogic breathing may have an effect on an individual’s cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics—the movement, flow, and circulation of the CSF—and on the health of the central nervous system, according to a new study.

Maternal microbiome promotes healthy development of the baby

Researchers studying mice have found the first evidence of how a mother’s gut microbes can help in the development of the placenta, and the healthy growth of the baby.

Borrowed gene helps maize adapt to high elevations, cold temperatures

Origins lie in precursor to modern-day corn that grows wild in the highlands of Mexico.