The study A prospective cohort study conducted by a team of researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) assessed the associations between tea consumption and all-cause and cause-specific mortality, using data from the UK Biobank. The researchers also assessed whether the associations differ according to the use of common additives for tea drinking, primarily milk and sugar. Also considered were the temperature of the tea consumed and genetic variants affecting the rate at which people metabolize caffeine.
- Among the participants (from the UK Biobank), half a million men and women, aged 40 to 69:
- 85% regularly consumed tea;
- Among these consumers, 89% consumed black tea;
- vs non-tea drinkers,
participants who consume 2 or more cups per day have a 9-13% reduced risk of mortality;
- the association between tea consumption and reduced mortality is observed independently of coffee consumption, and independently of added milk or sugar, drinking temperature or even genetic variants linked to caffeine metabolism.
Thus, regular tea consumption, even at moderate levels of consumption, is part of a healthy diet that supports a healthy lifespan.
