How Tea Can Help Your Heart

1 min

Drinking tea could help slow the natural decline in HDL (the “good” cholesterol) as you get older. This news comes from a six-year study involving more than 80,000 people in China. Researchers found that among those who drank tea regularly HDL diminished more slowly than it did among those who didn’t drink tea, and was associated with an eight percent decrease in cardiovascular risk. The researchers reported that green tea had a slightly stronger effect than black tea, although both contain the antioxidants polyphenols and catechins known for their anti-inflammatory effects. The study also found that the association between tea consumption and slower decreases in HDL appeared to be most pronounced in men and among participants age 60 and older with risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking, larger body mass index and low levels of physical activity. Other strategies for increasing HDL are weight loss and performing regular physical activity. The study participants reported on the amount of tea they drank weekly or monthly and didn’t indicate whether they drank more than one cup per day.

Source:
Xiang Gao et al, “Tea Consumption and Longitudinal change in High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Concentration in Chinese Adults.” Journal of the American Heart Association, June 25, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.118.008814

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