Tea Advisory Panel

Posted date:

24th May '19

Effects of Tea Consumption on Measures of Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review of Meta-Analysis Studies and Randomised Controlled Trials by Dr Chris Etheridge, Dr Tim Bond and Dr Emma Derbyshire was published in the Journal of Nutrition & Food Science in 2018. It is a systematic review of meta-analysis studies and randomised controlled trials that evaluated the effects of tea consumption on cardiovascular disease.

A large body of observational evidence from population-based studies has linked tea consumption with potentially reducing cardiovascular risk, but observational evidence can be confounded by lifestyle factors, such as diet, physical activity and so on.

A number of new randomised controlled trials (RCTs), the gold standard when determining cause and effect, have been published in the last 10 years and the effect of tea consumption on measures for cardiovascular disease (CVD) are considered in this paper. Tea’s contribution to cardiovascular health is thought to be due to its content of polyphenol flavonoids.
 

The aims of this latest research review were to: 

(1) evaluate evidence from both meta-analyses and RCTs to determine whether tea consumption has an affect on cardiovascular risk factors; 

(2) consider the mechanisms by which this protective effect might occur. 

Findings from the eight meta-analyses and seven RCTs trials looked at tea and blood pressure. The findings indicate that when four to five cups of black or green tea were consumed daily, there were links to a reduction in risks relating to blood pressure. In addition, several of the reviewed studies suggest that black and/or green tea may help improve cardiovascular function and dilatation of blood vessels, as well as reducing inflammation. In terms of mechanism, the authors of this review confirmed that the polyphenol content of black and green tea is likely to be linked to cardiovascular benefits. Further research is needed. 

The journal paper can be accessed here: https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/effects-of-tea-consumption-on-measures-of-cardiovascular-disease-a-systematic-review-of-metaanalysis-studies-and-randomised-contro-2155-9600-1000724.pdf

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