Cup of tea that is, for those non-English readers among you. That’s right, scientists have shown that drinking black tea can significantly control variation in blood pressure, which has been associated with cardiovascular disease.
Volunteers were given either 3 cups of powdered black tea solids (tea) or “a flavonoid-free caffeine-matched beverage” as the control per day for six months. Blood pressure was measured at day 0, day 1, 3 months and 6 months. The effects of drinking the tea were apparent from day 1 and lasted for the length of the trial. The night-time blood pressure variation was reduced by 10%, daytime variation was unaffected.
But for all you milky tea lovers, alas, there was no milk in the tea….
The paper is published in the May edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.