Moderate Tea Consumption Lowers Heart Disease Risk, But Hot Tea May Reverse Benefits
A large-scale study of nearly half a million Chinese adults found that drinking six to eight cups of tea daily was linked to an 11% lower risk of heart and blood vessel diseases. However, consuming tea at extremely high temperatures was associated with increased vascular risk, suggesting temperature matters as much as quantity.
A large-scale observational study conducted in China involving nearly 486,000 adults found that regular tea consumption was linked to an 11% lower risk of heart and blood vessel diseases over a median follow-up period of 9.05 years. The lowest risk was associated with drinking six to eight cups daily, with black tea showing more consistent benefits than green tea. The study, published in the Journal of Internal Medicine in November 2026, examined multiple vascular conditions including cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, pulmonary heart disease, and peripheral artery disease—conditions all tied to impaired blood circulation. Notably, drinking tea at extremely high temperatures, described as “burning hot,” was associated with increased vascular risk, suggesting that temperature may be a critical factor in determining health outcomes. The research did not establish causation, only correlation, and could not identify the precise biological mechanism behind the temperature effect. While both black and green tea derive from Camellia sinensis, differences in oxidation during processing may influence their health impacts, possibly due to varying polyphenol profiles. However, the study did not confirm whether these compounds were responsible for the observed benefits or risks.
The research team, affiliated with institutions including Wiley and Chinese public health data networks, aimed to understand how everyday habits like tea drinking interact with long-term cardiovasc
This study may influence public health messaging around tea consumption, particularly in regions where hot tea is a cultural staple, such as China, Turkey, and parts of South America. If confirmed by further research, the findings could prompt health organizations to include temperature warnings alongside recommendations for moderate intake—similar to how smoking cessation campaigns evolved from linking tobacco use to lung cancer. The potential impact on beverage industries is also notable: tea producers may need to reconsider packaging or marketing that promotes very hot consumption, while retailers might highlight safe drinking temperatures. A comparable precedent exists in the 1980s when epidemiological studies linked hot beverages to esophageal cancer, leading to revised guidelines and product labeling. However, unlike those cases, this study does not yet establish a causal mechanism, so widespread behavioral changes may be premature. What’s next could include randomized trials tes