Tea is the most popular drink in the world (not counting water) - so even a small positive effect will be significant at the population level.

The results of previous laboratory, clinical and epidemiological studies on the benefits of tea were controversial. Dr Yi-Ching Yang and his colleagues (National University of Cheng Kung, Tainan, Taiwan) observed 1507 men and women 20 years of age and older who did not have hypertension when enrolled in the study (1996). With the help of a special questionnaire, the peculiarities of consumption of tea were clarified (the method of brewing, the type of tea - green, black, oolong, the addition of milk, sugar, "experience" of regular tea and t.

Regularly drank tea 600 participants, consuming at least 120 ml / day, at least one year. As a rule, tea lovers were younger and had higher educational and socioeconomic status; There were more men among them. At the same time, tea lovers often suffered from obesity, smoked, consumed more alcohol and salt, but fewer vegetables. Despite such an unfavorable profile in terms of risk factors for hypertension, the level of systolic blood pressure in tea lovers was lower, and hypertension developed less frequently than those who drank tea only occasionally. After adjusting for possible confounding factors (sex, age, socioeconomic status, hypertension in relatives, body mass index, ratio of waist and hips, lifestyle and diet), it turned out that drinking 120-599 ml / day of tea reduces the risk of developing Hypertension by 46%. Those who drank more than 600 ml / day of tea, the risk decreased by 65%.

"Experience" of regular tea consumption, nevertheless, the degree of reduction in the risk of hypertension was practically not affected.

"For the first time at an adequate level, the relationship between tea consumption and the risk of hypertension was qualitatively and quantitatively assessed," write Dr. Yang and colleagues in Archives of Internal Medicine. "Nevertheless, new evidence is required for this association, which is planned to be obtained during long-term randomized prospective studies".

Medicus. En.

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