How to drink tea properly to protect your heart

Chinese scientists conducted a large-scale review of hundreds of studies on the health effects of green tea — and identified five main reasons to drink it every day. However, they warned that bottled tea and tea with milk work quite differently. The results were published in the journal Beverage Plant Research (BPR).

Specialists from the Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences summarized data from hundreds of clinical and epidemiological studies and identified five key areas in which green tea protects the body. These include reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease by improving lipid profiles and normalizing blood pressure; prevention of type 2 diabetes through restoration of insulin sensitivity; anti-tumor effects associated with the suppression of cancer cell growth; protection of cognitive functions in old age; and combating sarcopenia — age-related loss of muscle mass.

The main "active agents" were identified as catechins — plant polyphenols that suppress chronic inflammation, normalize blood glucose levels, and protect neurons from oxidative stress. The most studied among them is epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG): its concentration in freshly brewed green tea reaches several hundred milligrams per liter.

However, the authors of the review specifically emphasized that not all tea is equally beneficial. There is a vast gap between a naturally brewed beverage and its industrial bottled counterparts or trendy bubble tea. In the latter, the catechin content drops sharply due to heat processing and prolonged storage, while added sugar partially or completely negates all metabolic benefits.

Another blow to habits: adding milk reduces the bioavailability of catechins by approximately one-third — casein simply binds these valuable compounds.

For maximum preventive effect, scientists recommend drinking three to five cups of green tea per day. An important detail — it should be brewed with water no hotter than 80 degrees Celsius: boiling water destroys some of the catechins and, with regular consumption, can cause irritation of the esophageal lining.

The review also touched on black tea: thanks to the theaflavins it contains, it also possesses antioxidant properties, although it is inferior to green tea. The authors noted that tea remains the most popular beverage in the world after water, meaning it can serve as an accessible and virtually risk-free public health tool on a global scale.