Lian-Sheng Wang and fellow researchers at The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjiang Medical University in China meta-analysed data from 13 studies on black tea and five on green tea to determine if there is an association between black or green tea consumption and the risk of coronary heart disease.
The research, reported in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, indicated that drinking a cup of green tea everyday may lead to 10% reduction in the likelihood of contracting coronary artery disease (CAD).
A high intake of green tea was linked to a 28% reduction, compared to respondents that consumed the lowest amount, which the researchers said implied a 10% reduction in risk of contracting CAD for every cup of green tea taken daily.
A cup of black tea taken daily offered only a 2% reduction in the risk, however.
“Our data does not support a protective role of black tea against CAD,” according to the researchers. “The limited data available on green tea support supports a tentative association of green tea consumption with a reduced risk of CAD.”