Could drinking tea help you live longer and give you a better quality of life? According to a recent study that took place in China, tea very well may have positive effects on your overall health, and those who drink tea often may benefit the most.
As noted in the British Journal of Nutrition and featured online at Life Extension, Duke University published a study that contained 13,429 men and 19,177 women in China. Participants were aged 65 and older and enrolled from 1998 — 2005. Researchers gathered multiple health indicators, including tea consumption. For tea consumption, participants reported to drinking tea daily or often, sometimes (2-4 per week), seldom or never.
Their conclusion reported that those who drank tea on a regular basis, especially men, saw the best results. Those who drank tea at least 2 – 4 times per week had a 19 percent lower risk of dying as compared to those who seldom drank tea. Even more significant is the daily tea drinker may lower the same risk by up to 23 percent. Other benefits for daily or often included a lower risk of heart disease and in general, a lower risk of being in poorer health.
Lead researchers said, “High frequency of tea consumption is significantly associated with the reduced odds ratio of disability in activities of daily living, cognitive impairment, self-rated poor health, cumulative health deficits and cardiovascular disease in both young elders and the oldest-old, and in both men and women. These results suggest that the health benefit of drinking tea is universal. We conclude that frequent tea consumption probably helps one achieve healthy longevity and that men benefit more from such a lifestyle.”
This research study seems consistent with the line of thinking that tea includes tremendous health properties, such as helpful antioxidants. There are many great varieties of teas to drink, but our top five types to include in your diet is:
- Green Tea
- Black Tea
- White Tea
- Oolong Tea
- Chamomile Tea
Interested in listening to a podcast? Check out Maximum Wellness, Episode 47: Whey Protein Isolate May Favorably Alter Cardiovascular Function in Older Adults
