Study: Drinking Tea May Lower Risk of Heart Disease

Heart disease continues to rank as the leading cause of death. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it's responsible for over 600,000 deaths in the United States each year. While there's no foolproof way to prevent heart disease, there are ways to lower your risk of developing it. Exercising on a regular basis, for instance, can lower your risk of heart disease. A recent study has also found that drinking tea may lower your risk of heart disease.

About the Study

A study published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology found that people who drank tea regularly were less likely to develop heart disease than their counterparts who rarely or never drank tea. For the study, researchers analyzed health data consist of over 100,000 adults. None of the adults had any prior history of heart disease or other heart ailments. After crunching the numbers, researchers discovered that drinking tea regularly resulted in a 56% lower risk of death from heart disease and stroke.

Why Tea Is Good for Your Heart

It's unknown exactly how tea protects against heart disease. The aforementioned study simply found a correlation between the consumption of tea and a lower risk of heart disease. Nonetheless, there are a few possible reasons why tea is good for your heart.

Tea contains antioxidants that fight free radicals. Free radicals are everywhere. They are found in the foods we eat, the air we breathe and even the cosmetic and skincare products we use on our skin. As free radicals build up in our bodies, they can lead to oxidative stress that may increase the risk of heart disease. Fortunately, antioxidants like those in tea neutralize free radicals.

Drinking tea can also reduce inflammation in your body. Black tea and green tea are particularly effective at reducing inflammation. Inflammation, of course, is commonly associated with heart disease. People who suffer from chronic bodily inflammation are more likely to develop heart disease than people who have little or no inflammation in their bodies. You can reduce inflammation in your body by drinking team. Whether it's black tea or green tea, it will contain natural anti-inflammatory compounds that protect against chronic inflammation while potentially lowering your risk of heart disease in the process.

Another reason tea is good for your heart involves stress. Drinking tea has been shown to reduce stress levels. It will help relax, which in turn may lower your risk of heart disease. Stress is a risk factor for heart disease. By drinking tea, you can lower your stress levels to achieve a healthier heart.