Researchers Link Drinking Tea to an 11% Lower Risk of Vascular Disease, but One Preparation Method Increases Risk by 16%

Drinking tea regularly may be associated with a lower risk of vascular disease, particularly when paired with other healthy lifestyle habits, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine. Using data from nearly 486,000 participants in China, researchers analyzed how tea-drinking habits, including tea type, strength, temperature, and intake, were associated with vascular disease risk. Additionally, they looked at how tea consumption interacted with smoking habits and physical activity levels.

Researchers recorded 14,863 cases of vascular disease, finding that habitual tea drinkers had an 11 percent lower risk of developing the condition than those who did not regularly drink tea. Tea consumption was also associated with lower risks of several major cardiovascular and cerebrovascular conditions.

Interestingly, the findings suggest that how you drink your tea also matters. For instance, black tea showed more consistent associations with lower vascular disease risk than green tea, while drinking moderately strong tea was also associated with lower risk. On the other hand, drinking tea at “burning hot” high temperatures was associated with a 16 percent higher risk of vascular disease.

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Among people who drank tea at least once a week, those who consumed around six to eight cups a day had the lowest estimated risk of vascular disease. But the lowest risk overall was seen in people who regularly drank tea, didn’t smoke, and were highly physically active, with a 45 percent less likely chance of developing vascular disease.

“Joint analyses showed that tea consumption, smoking status, and physical were collectively associated with vascular risk, with the favorable combination of habitual tea consumption, non-current smoking, and high physical activity associated with the lowest risk,” the authors wrote in the study.

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Sources

• Habitual tea consumption is associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk. Journal of Internal Medicine, 2026