Your Daily Cup of Tea Could Help Fight Heart Disease, Cancer, Aging, and More

Arthur T Knackerbracket writes:

https://scitechdaily.com/your-daily-cup-of-tea-could-help-fight-heart-disease-cancer-aging-and-more/

Tea has a long history as both a traditional remedy and an everyday drink. Now a new review suggests that reputation may have real support behind it.

Across human cohort studies and clinical trials, tea drinking shows its most consistent links to better heart and metabolic health, including lower risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and related problems like obesity and type 2 diabetes - with hints of protection against some cancers as well.

The authors also point to early signs that tea may be tied to slower cognitive decline, less age-related muscle loss, and anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. Those areas are promising, they note, but still need stronger long-term human trials.

How much you drink seems to matter, too. In a meta-analysis of 38 prospective cohort data sets, "moderate" intake tracked with lower all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality. For CVD mortality, the benefit signal appeared to level off around ~1.5-3 cups per day, while all-cause mortality showed its strongest association at ~2 cups per day.

At the same time, the review notes that not all tea products are created equal. Bottled teas and bubble teas can include additives such as artificial sweeteners and preservatives, which may introduce health concerns that do not apply in the same way to brewed tea.

Tea is made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis and has been consumed worldwide for centuries. It was first valued largely for medicinal purposes before becoming a widely enjoyed beverage. Scientists have long been interested in tea because it contains high levels of polyphenols, particularly catechins, which are thought to play a major role in many of its reported benefits.

This review, published in Beverage Plant Research, brings together evidence from laboratory research and human studies to examine how tea relates to a wide range of health outcomes. While green tea has been studied extensively, the authors emphasize that far less is known about black, oolong, and white tea, especially when it comes to comparing their health effects. The review also considers concerns raised by additives and possible contaminants found in some commercial tea drinks.

In the review, green tea stands out for cardiovascular protection. Human studies summarized by the authors link tea intake to modest reductions in blood pressure and improvements in blood lipids, including lower LDL cholesterol.

Large cohort studies also associate regular tea drinking with reduced all-cause mortality and lower deaths from CVD, with the most consistent signal appearing in populations where green tea is the dominant type.

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