Regular tea consumption may be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular and other vascular diseases, according to a study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine. Researchers analysed data from 485,934 adults in China who were followed for a median of 9.05 years, examining the relationship between tea-drinking habits and the risk of developing several vascular conditions.
During the follow-up period, researchers recorded 14,863 cases of cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, pulmonary heart disease and peripheral artery disease. The findings showed that people who regularly drank tea had an 11% lower risk of experiencing these outcomes than those who did not drink tea.
The study also examined how the amount, type and strength of tea consumed were associated with vascular health. Among people who drank tea weekly, the lowest estimated risk was observed at approximately six to eight cups per day. Black tea showed more consistent associations with a lower risk of vascular disease than green tea, while moderate-strength tea was associated with the lowest risk. However, drinking tea described as “burning hot” was linked to an elevated risk of vascular disease.
Tea Consumption and Vascular Disease Risk
The researchers assessed the health outcomes of a large population over an extended period, allowing them to examine associations between tea-drinking patterns and the occurrence of vascular diseases. The results indicated that regular tea consumption was associated with a lower risk of the conditions examined.
The study’s findings covered several types of vascular disease rather than focusing exclusively on cardiovascular disease. These included cerebrovascular disease, which affects blood vessels supplying the brain, pulmonary heart disease and peripheral artery disease, alongside cardiovascular disease.
Tea consumption was associated with an 11% reduction in the risk of experiencing these outcomes. Among weekly tea drinkers, the lowest estimated risk was observed at around six to eight cups daily. This finding suggests that the relationship between tea consumption and vascular health may vary according to how frequently and how much tea people drink.
The researchers also identified differences between tea varieties. Black tea showed more consistent inverse associations with vascular disease than green tea. In this context, an inverse association means that higher or regular consumption was linked to a lower risk of the outcomes studied.
Tea strength also appeared to matter. Moderate-strength tea was associated with the lowest risk, while consuming “burning hot” tea was associated with an elevated risk of vascular disease. These findings highlight that the relationship between tea drinking and vascular health may depend on more than whether a person consumes tea.
Smoking and Physical Activity Also Linked to Vascular Risk
The researchers additionally examined tea consumption alongside smoking status and physical activity. Their analysis indicated that these factors were collectively associated with vascular risk, suggesting that tea-drinking habits should be considered alongside other lifestyle characteristics.
The authors wrote: “Joint analyses showed that tea consumption, smoking status and physical were collectively associated with vascular risk, with the favourable combination of habitual tea consumption, non-current smoking and high physical activity associated with the lowest risk,”
According to the researchers, the combination of habitual tea consumption, not currently smoking and engaging in high levels of physical activity was associated with the lowest vascular risk.
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