Green Tea

While much of the strongest research support for tea抯 potential to contribute to heart health has focused on black tea, new research has shown that green tea also offers cardiovascular benefits.

A study by Japanese researchers, published in the Sept. 13th 2006 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that individuals who consumed five or more cups of green tea per day had a 26 percent lower risk of death due to cardiovascular disease than participants who consumed less than one cup of tea per day. For the study, researchers followed 40,530 Japanese adults, aged 40 to 79 years with no previous history of major disease, for up to 11 years for death from all causes and for up to seven years for death from a specific cause.

Cardiovascular disease is very complex and scientists are still exploring possible explanations for how regular consumption of tea reduces the risk of the disease. Some studies suggest that tea flavonoids provide several mechanisms that work in tandem to collectively improve markers for cardiovascular health. Research has shown that tea flavonoids may help promote heart health by improving blood vessel and endothelial function, and by improving cholesterol levels.