How You Drink Your Tea May Affect Your Heart, Study Finds
How you prepare and drink your tea may influence its relationship with your heart health, according to a new study involving more than 485,000 adults.
Tea is a popular drink for many people, whether taken in the morning, during work or in the evening. However, new research suggests that the temperature, strength and frequency of tea consumption may be associated with cardiovascular health.
The study, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine on October 21, 2026, examined the tea-drinking habits of 485,934 adults in China. Researchers followed participants for an average of about nine years to investigate the relationship between tea consumption and diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels.
The findings suggest that regular tea consumption was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. However, people who reported drinking tea at a burning-hot temperature had a higher risk of vascular disease.
Here are five things to know about the findings and what they mean for tea drinkers.
1. Regular tea drinking was linked to lower cardiovascular risk
Researchers found that people who drank tea at least three days a week had an approximately 11% lower risk of developing vascular disease than those who did not drink tea regularly.
During the follow-up period, researchers recorded 14,863 cases of cardiovascular and other vascular diseases among the participants.
These conditions included heart disease, stroke, pulmonary heart disease and peripheral artery disease, which occurs when narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs.
However, the study does not establish that drinking tea directly prevents these conditions. It identifies an association between tea consumption and disease risk.
Other factors, including diet, exercise, smoking and existing medical conditions, may also influence cardiovascular health.
2. Drinking tea while it is scalding hot may carry risks
One of the study’s notable findings concerned the temperature at which participants drank their tea.
People who reported drinking tea at a burning-hot temperature had a 16% higher risk of vascular disease than those who did not drink tea regularly.
In contrast, people who drank tea at room temperature or at a hot but non-scalding temperature had a lower risk than non-regular tea drinkers.
However, the researchers relied on participants’ descriptions of their preferred drinking temperatures. They did not objectively measure how hot the tea was.
This limits the conclusions researchers can draw about temperature and cardiovascular risk.
Nevertheless, allowing tea to cool before drinking it is a sensible precaution. Scalding-hot beverages can burn the mouth and throat, while repeated consumption of very hot drinks has also been associated with an increased risk of oesophageal cancer.
3. Black tea showed more consistent associations with lower risk
The study also examined whether the type of tea people consumed made a difference.
Researchers found that black tea showed more consistent associations with lower cardiovascular risk across different types of vascular disease than green tea. Green tea also showed potential benefits.
Both varieties come from the Camellia sinensis plant. However, differences in processing affect their composition of naturally occurring compounds.
Tea contains polyphenols, including flavonoids, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These compounds may help support blood vessel function and contribute to cardiovascular health.
However, the findings do not mean that everyone should switch from green tea to black tea. Both can form part of a balanced diet, particularly when consumed without excessive added sugar.
4. Drinking more tea does not automatically mean better heart health
The researchers also examined the relationship between the quantity of tea consumed and cardiovascular disease.
Among participants who drank tea at least weekly, the lowest estimated risk appeared at approximately six to eight cups daily.
However, the researchers cautioned against treating this finding as a recommended daily intake. The study relied on self-reported consumption and did not use a standard cup size.
Furthermore, tea contains caffeine, which can affect sleep and cause symptoms such as palpitations in some people.
The appropriate amount varies depending on the individual, the strength of the tea and other sources of caffeine consumed throughout the day.
People should therefore not feel compelled to increase their tea consumption simply because the study identified a lower estimated risk at a particular intake level.
5. Your overall lifestyle remains important for heart health
Although the findings highlight a possible relationship between tea consumption and cardiovascular health, tea alone cannot guarantee a healthy heart.
The study found that tea consumption, smoking status and physical activity were collectively associated with cardiovascular risk. Habitual tea drinking, not currently smoking and higher levels of physical activity were associated with the lowest risk.
However, the observational nature of the research means it cannot establish that tea itself caused the differences in risk.
Other established approaches to cardiovascular health include regular physical activity, avoiding tobacco, maintaining healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and eating a balanced diet.
Tea can be part of these habits, but it should not replace other measures that help protect the heart.
What the findings mean for tea drinkers
The study suggests that regular tea consumption may be associated with a lower risk of vascular disease, but the temperature at which people drink it may also matter.
For tea drinkers, the practical takeaway is simple: allow tea to cool to a comfortable drinking temperature, consider limiting added sugar and pay attention to total caffeine intake.
The findings also require caution because researchers studied adults in China, and the results may not apply equally to every population.
Ultimately, the research adds to evidence on the relationship between tea and cardiovascular health. It does not prove that drinking tea prevents heart disease or that scalding-hot tea directly causes cardiovascular problems.