Scientists have discovered why unsweetened tea is healthier than tea with sugar

Unsweetened tea reduces mortality risk: new study reveals impressive results

A large-scale study published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition has revealed a surprising connection between unsweetened tea consumption and a significant reduction in the risk of death from various causes, including cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Meanwhile, tea with added sugar or artificial sweeteners did not show similar protective properties.

The study covered an impressive sample of 195,361 volunteers aged 37 to 73 years. Scientists excluded pregnant women, people with incomplete medical data, and those whose energy consumption significantly deviated from the norm. All participants completed an online daily food diary at least once.

The scientific team conducted a comparative analysis of the effects of three types of tea – unsweetened, with sugar, and with artificial sweeteners – on mortality rates. The main object of the study was black tea, which was the most popular among participants.

The results were impressive: tea lovers who drank 3.5-4.5 cups of unsweetened tea daily showed a 20% lower risk of death from all causes, 27% lower from cardiovascular diseases, and 14% lower from cancer. Notably, this protective effect did not depend on genetic characteristics of caffeine metabolism. At the same time, tea with sugar or sweeteners did not demonstrate similar benefits.

Researchers also noted an interesting pattern: consumers of sweetened tea were more likely to be men, less likely to include fruits in their diet, and generally adhered to a less healthy lifestyle – they smoked, were overweight, suffered from high blood pressure and chronic diseases.