A Cup of Tea (or Three) a Day, Keeps Hypertension Away

OK, that’s a bit of an oversimplification, but two recent meta-analysis studies, show a strong correlation between green and black tea consumption and lower blood pressure values and CVD risks.

In the first, titled "Effects of tea intake on blood pressure: A meta-analysis of 21 randomized controlled trials”, the authors found that long–term (≥12 weeks) ingestion of a tea (green and black tea) resulted in a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic BP. In total, 1,323 subjects were enrolled in the 21 studies. Results showed a lowering of systolic and diastolic values by 1-3mmHg.

A second study titled “Green tea consumption and the risk of the related factors of cardiovascular diseases and ischemic related diseases: A meta-analysis” found significant reduction in CVD risks with larger intakes of green tea. In this meta-analysis, 259,267 individuals from 9 earlier studies were used and the results suggested that higher tea consumption levels produced increasingly greater health benefits.

So go have that afternoon tea, just leave out the cookies.

Effects of tea intake on blood pressure: A meta-analysis of 21 randomized controlled trials
JACC - Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 10/22/2014
Gang L, et al.

Green tea consumption and the risk of the related factors of cardiovascular diseases and ischemic related diseases: A meta-analysis
International Journal of Cardiology, 01/12/2015
Pang J, et al.