Participants were questioned regarding dietary habits, including coffee and tea consumption, followed over the course of several years and monitored for atherosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries. The researchers found that participants who drank one to two cups of tea per day reduced their risk of atherosclerosis by 46 percent. Those who consumed four cups of tea a day dropped their risk by 69 percent. The researchers also found that women seemed to benefit more than men from drinking tea. The study involved consumption of regular black tea, since consumption of green tea in the Netherlands is negligible.
Scientists believe that black tea contains more flavonoids than green tea.
Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke in the United States. It is estimated that over 12 million Americans suffer from coronary heart disease. The study supports research published earlier this summer that showed that drinking just one cup of tea a day cut the risk of heart attack by 44 percent. A Chinese study published last year also showed tea may prevent some cancers, especially oral cancers. In the latest study, the Dutch researchers noted that tea drinking in Western populations is generally associated with a healthy lifestyle and diet.