Black Tea and Your Blood Pressure

Drinking Black Tea Regularly May Lower Blood Pressure, New Study Suggests

A new study from Australia reports

that drinking 3 cups daily of regular

black tea was associated with a small
but significant drop in blood pressure.

Blood pressure readings less than 120/80 mm Hg are considered normal. High blood pressure is defined as a reading of 140/90 or above. People with a reading between the two are considered
to have "pre-hypertension."

Researchers divided 95 study participants, age 35-75, into two groups: One group drank 3 cups
of black tea daily, while a control group drank a placebo beverage containing the same amount
of caffeine but no actual tea.

At the study's start, participants had systolic
blood pressure readings ranging from 155-150. After 6 months, those in the tea-drinking group saw an average drop in systolic pressure of 2-3 points and about a 2-point drop in diastolic pressure, compared to the control group.

Although those improvements appear small, researchers said they had important potential public-health benefits. They noted that previous studies have suggested that the polyphenols in
tea can improve blood-vessel function, which
could account for the blood-pressure changes.

Source: Archives of Internal Medicine

This article is for informational and educational purposes only; It is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Consult your doctor or

healthcare professional.