A Netherlands study of over 40,000 people has found those who drank more than six cups of tea per day cut their risk of heart disease by a third. Those consuming between two and four cups of coffee per day were also linked to a reduced risk, adding a growing body of evidence suggesting health benefits from the popular hot drinks.
The study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association finds those who drank between two and four cups of coffee per day at a lower risk of heart disease by as much as 20%. Professor Yvonne van der Schouw, the study’s lead researcher said “It is good news for those who like tea and coffee. These popular hot drinks appear to offer benefits for the heart without raising the risk of dying from anything else.”
Although this is great news of for all of us tea and coffee drinkers in the UK it must be noted that the Dutch tend to drink coffee with a small amount of milk and tea often without any milk at all. There have been conflicting reports published looking in more detail at the properties of milk in tea and coffee as to whether it substantially affects polyphenols, polyphenols believed to be the most beneficial substance in tea.
A Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, stated “The study adds further weight to the evidence that drinking these popular hot drinks in moderation is in fact not harmful for most people, and may even lower the individuals risk of developing, or dying, from heart disease.”
Everything in moderation as with anything there can always be too much of a good thing. It is worth remembering that leading a health overall lifestyle is what really matters coupling a healthy diet with regular exercise to ensure your heart remains in tip-top condition.
