There are many options for teas. Some are energizing, while others are relaxing, and a few can even be good for your heart or help reduce your cholesterol. A recent study found a correlation between tea drinking and increased lifespan, as long as sugar is kept to a minimum. In fact, how you prepare your tea can determine how healthy it is. The study found that adults who consume at least three but less than five cups of tea a day live 2.24 years longer than those who don’t drink tea.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976290ba8b191-f5c2-4e1b-b488-c54df577480b Which tea is best for you, and how should you take it? Here are eight teas and how they can affect your heart. default Drinking green tea is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Black Tea Might Be Good for Your Heart, but Drink Responsibly “Black tea has cardio-protective benefits that can improve blood vessel function and blood flow,” says Guy L. Mintz, MD , director of cardiovascular health and lipidology at the Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York. Dr. Mintz says this heart benefit is due to polyphenols and flavonoids, antioxidants found in plants like tea leaves. Some research suggests some teas can help lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and improve cholesterol levels.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629a44ca0c7-ac72-49da-b240-d6a619dcf86e Grace Derocha, RD , national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, warns that the tannins , a class of polyphenols, may cause an upset stomach or other side effects. “Tannins in black tea can also decrease iron absorption from plant-based foods,” Derocha says. “That’s why there’s tea time. You’re not supposed to have tea with your meals for a reason.” Derocha says that people with caffeine sensitivity should watch how much black (or green) tea they drink. Black tea has the highest amount of caffeine out of any type of tea.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762967383c0d-da15-4dce-b3d4-e9f68b178ab9 While black tea has less caffeine than coffee, the caffeine level varies depending on the type of tea, the brand, how it’s processed, and how long it steeps. Drinking too much caffeine can cause a fast heartbeat and high blood pressure.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976294e32eda5-48e4-4d52-83ae-d8eb1a21d64a People who are pregnant should not consume more than 200 milligrams of caffeine daily, or roughly four cups of black tea daily.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629c0be29a0-7bf8-4c8f-bf63-4c73876baff5 If you are pregnant, it may be best to avoid caffeine as much as possible, but if you want to consume it, you should talk with your healthcare provider.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629b3120fa6-01ac-4af3-8689-1bfbd8b21a87e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976298bb2ec71-9315-4e36-bf35-d4557c0f99e2 Finally, Derocha says that black tea can interfere with mental health medication, so you should speak to your doctor if you are taking medication or trying a new tea.
Green Tea May Lower Cholesterol if You Drink Enough For your heart health, it pays to go green. Powerful antioxidants in green tea — especially one called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG — may help prevent atherosclerosis and plaque buildup in the arteries.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976297f0a58da-bddf-4667-99cc-23309a63c143 Because green tea is made from steamed tea leaves and is less highly processed than black or oolong tea, it offers more health benefits, according to Derocha. “Steamed tea leaves have a higher concentration of EGCG, an antioxidant that helps prevent plaque buildup in our arteries,” she says. Drinking green tea is also associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, especially for habitual tea drinkers.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762992e5a1cb-0bb0-452e-a645-f135e21a9de0 And other research has shown that green tea may lower blood pressure in healthy people.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762964410265-3120-457c-8cdb-05c0492b791c However, it’s worth noting that these benefits are strongest with regular tea drinkers, and more so for those drinking more than one cup of green tea a day. But remember that green tea has caffeine ‚— though usually less than black tea — and the amount depends on how long it steeps. Green tea also contains some vitamin K which helps your blood to clot and this could cause an interaction with blood thinner medications.. You should check with your doctor if you’re taking a blood thinner like warfarin (Coumadin).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629c4856d63-0a6b-4be2-8260-32b4f96a7bcf
White Tea Is Possibly Protective Against Cancer but Has No Heart Benefits White tea is harvested from the young buds of the tea plant and only briefly processed. “White tea has the most potent anti-cancer properties compared with some of the more processed teas like black tea or oolong,” says Derocha. “It also has catechins, a polyphenol that can protect us from cell damage, whether that be aging or from a chronic condition.”e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629944df035-2969-4fe3-a00f-75f81b67ce84 Regarding heart health, research is limited. Mintz says that while white tea does have antioxidant effects, there aren’t any specific studies exploring the link between the two.
Oolong Tea May Lower Cholesterol, but More Research Is Needed As with green and black tea, oolong tea is made from Camellia sinensis plant leaves. The difference is in the processing. For oolong tea, crushed leaves are oxidized for a period of time and then heated to stop the process. While there are no large, long-term clinical studies of oolong tea’s effects, a review of studies concluded that oolong tea may be beneficial for the heart, protect teeth and bones and even play a role in preventing cancer.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629de051bcb-e507-4107-ad98-97a0c09ecdeb Derocha notes that oolong has a laxative effect, and she advises people to be skeptical about weight loss claims. “It’s not a weight loss cure or supplement,” says Derocha. “That’s not how you want to sell anything because it could be dangerous for people.” If you’re unsure how oolong tea will affect you, Derocha recommends speaking with a doctor. Like other teas, it may be contraindicated with medications like blood thinners.
Chamomile Tea Promotes Sleep, but Be Careful This herbal tea is notorious for helping people sleep at night because it contains flavonoids, research has shown.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976295c0d3a0a-eb91-4396-84fe-d88ffa898355 “Flavonoids help us relax and sleep, and [they] can also help reduce menstrual cramping and pain,” says Derocha. Sleep is also one of the best tools for dealing with inflammation or healing from an injury, she notes.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762999da1632-dc8b-4654-8377-3f6e06ff5b51 Getting restful sleep is necessary for heart health, too. A study found that poor sleep quality was associated with increased risk of major cardiovascular disease.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629b391c4ee-452a-4fc2-9d4c-deb4cf82dcf2 Sometimes the tea works so well that doctors tell patients not to drink chamomile before surgery because it can have an adverse effect with anesthesia, says Derocha. However, people with a coronary artery stent or who are taking aspirin or warfarin blood thinners should consult their doctor before drinking chamomile tea because it may increase the risk for internal bleeding. “Just like with black tea, pharmacists and doctors want to know what herbal teas you drink,” says Derocha. This way they can ensure that there aren’t any contraindications with your medications..
Ginseng Tea Is Safer to Drink Than Take in Capsule Form Asian ginseng is a plant whose fleshy root is most frequently used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine as a tonic to increase energy, alertness, and memory, lower blood sugar, curb erectile dysfunction, aid digestion, and more.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762997265ebf-1641-435b-b19b-b71b47821f5f However, there is no conclusive evidence in the form of large, long-term studies for any of these health benefit claims, and ginseng, like other dietary supplements, has not been officially approved or evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629a729e583-89f8-4185-9c0f-2654c2d38920 Still, some research suggests that ginseng may have cardiovascular benefits, such as increasing blood circulation and preventing coronary heart disease.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762973b82ecd-7690-483d-aa59-a814ab49c5f3 “Ginseng is trickier because it can come in tea or capsule form,” says Derocha, who adds that ginseng supplements are sometimes touted as “miracle capsules” but with little proof of doing anything miraculous or with the approval of the FDA. If you want the potential benefits of ginseng, it is safer in tea form. As with most teas, talk to your doctor if you’re taking blood thinners like warfarin or antiplatelet drugs such as clopidogrel (Plavix).
St. John’s Wort Is Risky When Combined With Heart Meds You may have heard that St. John’s wort, usually found in capsule form, can help treat symptoms of depression. But be wary of drinking this tea if you have a heart condition. And there is no evidence that St. John’s wort tea has significant cardiovascular benefits. For those who take some heart medications, including digoxin (Lanoxin) or ivabradine, taking St. John’s wort can reduce these drugs’ effects.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976299788617b-645e-4d3b-9cbd-ef1cd059ae7f The organization also notes that while there has been extensive research on St. John’s wort for depression, the interactions with some medications can be life-threatening. It’s important to note that because St. John’s wort is a dietary supplement, the FDA has not reviewed it for effectiveness or safety in the way it reviews drugs. Derocha says ginseng tea is a safer option than St. John’s wort tea and that black and green teas are still the best and safest options for heart health.
Rooibos (Red Tea) Has Potential, but More Research Is Needed Rooibos tea is made from the dried leaves of a plant native to South Africa. The leaves are fermented to make red tea, and can also be used unfermented (green), although green rooibos tea is not widely available. Neither has caffeine. While rooibos, or red tea, like chamomile tea, has plant flavonoids with cancer-fighting properties, medical studies have been limited and their results contradictory.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762920777692-d401-48ad-b69c-4f517106ef5e But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t drink it, notes Derocha. “We talk about [eating] a rainbow of color with fruits and vegetables and getting a little bit of color from everything because there’s a variety of nutrition that you’ll get,” she says. “I feel the same way about tea. I think we should have red, black, white, and green tea because you’ll get different perks.” Fancy Tea Lattes Have No Heart Health Benefits Creamy, foamy, frothy sweet tea lattes may be delicious. But for heart health and other health benefits, you’re better off drinking your tea plain. You’ll avoid a lot of calories with plain tea, too. “A lot of patients will drink fancy tea lattes, and what they’re going to get from that is a lot of sugar, calories, and carbs,” says Mintz. “In that case, you’re doing nothing for yourself.” A recent study concluded that, while consuming unsweetened tea provided some heart benefits, those benefits disappeared when sugar or artificial sweeteners were added.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d035ea35-451d-4e8c-855d-663d67eb8fea
The Takeaway There is a growing body of evidence that black and green tea, without sugar or artificial sweeteners, provide some heart benefits. Some limited evidence suggests that other teas, without sugar or artificial sweeteners, may be heart-healthy, though more research is needed. Some teas — including black, green, and white tea — contain caffeine, which can speed your heart rate or increase your risk for high blood pressure. Consult your doctor if you’re taking medication or have medical conditions and are drinking tea or want to add tea to your diet.
8 Teas That Can Help or Harm Your Heart
