Tea is a great source of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, and anti-inflammatories, and it can help you feel more energetic and reduce the risk of chronic illness, according to new research.
Read more about the health benefits of tea.
In a study published today in The Lancet medical journal, researchers from the US and Australia analyzed the relationship between tea and blood pressure, cholesterol, inflammation and heart disease in nearly 12,000 men and women in the United States.
The researchers found that people who drank more than five cups of tea a day had a 50 percent lower risk of developing heart disease than those who drank less than three cups of the beverage a day.
The researchers also found that tea drinkers were more likely to have lower cholesterol and a lower risk for high blood pressure.
The research team was led by Dr. Michael Fennell, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
“People who drink tea at least twice a week have a lower incidence of heart disease, a lower mortality rate and a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Fennill said in a statement.
“However, it’s also important to note that the results also show that tea is an effective treatment for heart disease and diabetes.”
The study is the first to link tea to a range of health benefits.
A cup of tea contains more antioxidants than a cup of coffee, and tea is high in polyphenols, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, the researchers wrote in their study.
The authors also noted that drinking tea is not just good for the brain, but also helps you fight cancer and arthritis, according the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The findings may have health implications beyond the heart.
Dr. Andrew Kimball, an assistant professor of medical science at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, has studied the health effects of tea for years.
In one study, he and his colleagues found that drinking two cups of brewed tea per day reduced the risk for lung cancer by 43 percent.
In another study, they found that regular tea consumption reduced the number of days that patients required dialysis and reduced the amount of blood lost during the process.
Tea also reduces the risk that people with cancer will develop blood clots, Dr. Kimball said in an interview with NPR.
“It’s a natural and healthy way to get your blood flowing,” Dr., Kimball added.
While tea has a long history of use, Drs.
Fitts and Kimball have not seen any evidence to suggest that drinking more than three or four cups of a tea a week is unhealthy.
The study was funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and the American Heart Association.
This story was updated at 5:22 p.m.
