- A new research shows that drinking tea at least 3 times a week can improve your cardiovascular health
- Both black tea and green tea have health benefits, but green tea is better
- The benefits of tea were more pronounced in men, based on the findings of the research
A new research has shown that habitual tea drinking reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. The study showed that participants with a habit of drinking tea over a period of years of 8.2 years on average had much lower risks of cardiovascular disease.
Green tea vs. Black tea
Does green tea have benefits over black tea? Yes, according to the study.
Tea, especially green tea, is a rich source of flavonoids. Mechanism studies have revealed that these bioactive compounds have many health benefits including reducing oxidative stress. Tea polyphenols might be oxidized into pigments and inactivated during fermentation. This may be partly the reason why black tea was prone to be less associated with health benefits in many studies.
In addition, the fermentation process that goes into creating black tea might dilute the effectiveness of polyphenols. And of course, black tea is also often served and diluted, with milk.
Dr. Dongfeng Gu, PhD, a professor of epidemiology and medical genetics at the Chinese Academy, noted that the preferences of research participants towards green tea.
“In our study population, 49 percent of habitual tea drinkers consumed green tea most frequently, while only 8 percent preferred black tea,” Gu wrote in a release. “The small proportion of habitual black tea drinkers might make it more difficult to observe robust associations, but our findings hint at a differential effect between tea types.”
Men vs. Women
One more thing to consider according to the research is that health benefits were more pronounced in men than in women.
Researchers said this could be due to lower incidence of heart disease and stroke in women.
There is also more data on men who frequently drink tea as 48 percent of men and only 20 percent of women were identified as habitual tea drinkers. Further studies on women and more detailed information menstruation and hormonal changes might help refine the findings according to the authors.
Verdict
Drink tea, especially green tea – it’s good for you!