October 21, 2026

expert reaction to study looking at drinking tea habitually and cardiovascular disease risk

Scientists comment on a study looking at habitual tea drinking and risk of cardiovascular disease, as published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.

Dr Charalampos Rallis, Reader in Genetics, Genomics and Fundamental Cell Biology, Queen Mary University of London, said:

“This large study adds to existing observational evidence linking regular tea drinking with lower cardiovascular risk.  Tea drinkers differed from non-drinkers; however, the model is not fully adjusted for diet and income.  The reported risk reduction is relative, and the authors caution that the ‘6-8 cups a day’ should not be read as a recommended intake.  The authors tested many comparisons and some of the more striking findings, such as those on black tea and ‘burning hot’ tea, should be treated as exploratory.  A clear message for the public is that avoiding smoking and maintaining an active lifestyle remain the most important lifestyle choices for heart health.”

Dell Stanford, Senior Dietitian, the British Heart Foundation, said:

“People who regularly drank tea in this study had around an 11% lower relative risk of vascular disease, adding to evidence linking tea drinking with better cardiovascular health.  But this doesn’t prove that a daily cuppa protects your heart.  This was an observational study and other differences in people’s diets and lifestyles could help explain the findings.

“Although the lowest estimated risk was seen at around six to eight cups a day, we shouldn’t treat that as a recommended amount.  Tea intake was only measured once, cup size wasn’t standardised and the study cannot prove that drinking more tea caused the lower risk.

“Importantly, the findings point to the wider role of healthy lifestyle habits.  The lowest risk was seen among people who drank tea, did not smoke and were physically active.  There’s no single food or drink that will transform our heart health; our overall diet and lifestyle matter much more.

“Finally, because this research was carried out in China, we need further evidence before assuming the findings apply in the same way to people in the UK.”

‘Habitual tea consumption is associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk’ by Zichen Ye et al. was published in the Journal of Internal Medicine at 08:01 UK time on Wednesday 21 October 2026.

DOI: 10.1111/joim.70172

Declared interests

Dr Charalampos Rallis: “I have no industry or financial interests to declare.”

Dell Stanford: “None.”