Tea And CVD: A Fresh Cup
Tea has been a practice of many cultures around the world for thousands of years. Be it for medicinal, spiritual, or emotional purposes, drinking tea is a common method of maintaining one’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Given the autumn chill in the air and the fast-approaching colder winter months, one might ask, is drinking tea necessarily good for one’s cardiovascular health? Can it be dangerous? Yes to both, and, as usual, when it comes to cardiovascular disease (CVD), this topic is more complicated than it seems.
So tip a kettle into a cup, dip your favorite-flavored teabag, and take a sip. Your heart and health will usually thank you.
For one’s general health, the article, Does Drinking Tea Really Help Health? by Heidi Godman, discusses how, given the breadth of the question, it is difficult to discern whether or not drinking tea indisputably benefits one’s overall health. However, the results that have been collected are promising.
It provides a definition of tea, “all tea comes from the leaves of the same plant: the Camellia sinensis plant. What makes the teas different is how the tea leaves are processed — dried, steamed, rolled or oxidized (exposed to oxygen in the air). The particular combination of processing methods determines a tea's color, taste, and type” (Godman, 2025). However, there is a variety of tea types. “For example, black tea undergoes rolling and oxidation, which deepens its amber, red, or brown color and intensifies the flavor. Green tea is steamed to stop oxidation, preserving its fresh, green color and milder taste” (Godman, 2025). However, given the types of tea, it is still beneficial. Even though “you won't find many vitamins or nutrients in tea, but it's rich in phytochemicals—compounds that give plants their characteristics (such as color and smell) and have pharmacological effects when we consume them. Tea's primary phytochemicals are caffeine and polyphenols. The amount and type of phytochemicals in tea depends on how the leaves are processed. For example, teas that are not oxidized contain high levels of polyphenols called catechins; fully oxidized teas are abundant in polyphenols called theaflavins and thearubigins” (Godman, 2025). However, this does not mean all teas are the same because each has different flavor and ingredients with certain benefits even from a type-based level. For example, “green tea has more polyphenols than black tea, but black tea has more caffeine. And matcha is dried green tea that's ground into fine particles. It's more concentrated — higher in caffeine and polyphenols than plain green tea” (Godman, 2025). So, depending on what you need in your life and your health, you can pick the tea accordingly.
However, is the practice of drinking tea good even beneficial for cardiovascular health in general? The article, Tea In Cardiovascular Health And Disease: A Critical Appraisal Of The Evidence by Klaus W. Lange discusses how there have been an increase in academic focus on this topic in recent years as, “the findings of various epidemiological studies, interventions using randomized controlled trials and mechanistic experiments have suggested a protective role of tea and its bioactive components in cardiovascular health. The potential of tea in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) has therefore attracted increasing research interest” (Lange, 2022). However, it is too early to declare there to be a general positive correlation. This is because, “since tea is globally one of the most commonly consumed beverages, even small beneficial effects in humans may shift the population distribution of CVD risk, with major implications for public health. However, research conducted to date does not yield sufficiently robust evidence to allow a recommendation as to an optimal level of tea consumption as an element of health policies seeking to prevent hypertension and improve cardiovascular health” (Lange, 2022). Godman concurs with this lukewarm statement that “hundreds of studies have been published on the health effects of tea, but they don't offer conclusive evidence. Many studies are small or conducted for short periods. And most studies on tea — even large ones — are observational, assessing only an association between tea consumption and health, not necessarily a cause and effect” (Godman, 2025). So in conclusion there may be some benefit, but it is not clear enough to say for certain.
So general benefits of tea consumption are unclear, but the benefits of specific tea types with cardiovascular disease shows more promising results. Godman quotes Dr. Frank Hu, Chair of the Department of Nutrition and professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Stating, “‘the overall direction of research indicates a potential benefit,”’ Dr. Hu says. ‘For example, catechins in green tea have high antioxidant and anti-inflammation effects in animal models and test-tube studies. Polyphenols such as quercetin in black tea have similar anti-inflammatory effects’" (Godman, 2025). However, it depends on the context. "‘Several recent analyses have found that higher consumption of tea, especially black tea and green tea, is associated with reduced risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, and early death,’" (Godman, 2025) Dr. Hu says. "‘And some studies suggest that drinking tea might help reduce stress and improve mental health" (Godman, 2025). So by these results, it can be said that tea generally is mildly healthy for supporting the cardiovascular system, but certain teas are more beneficial in specific situations and can be more valuable for certain conditions than others.
Now, Dr. Hu mentioned heart disease and other related medical conditions, as well as how black tea and green tea benefit these health issues.
Personally, I drink tea for mental, emotional, and medical reasons.
During the years I lived in China, I developed a fondness for the drink and have an appreciation for the historical, cultural, and medical significance of tea. While I developed a fondness for the drink, I also realized that some teas are better suited for individuals with heart conditions, while others are not. I am not a doctor, nor do I prescribe drinking tea as any form of medically prescribed treatment. However, I am discussing the cardiovascular benefits and potential problems associated with drinking tea, based on research combined with my own experience. In some circumstances and some cardiovascular instances, though, drinking certain teas can be downright dangerous.
Personally, I drink a variety of teas, but I do so with caution due to my specific list of cardiovascular conditions and the impact that certain teas have on my health. That is why this article will serve as a springboard to a broader in-depth discussion over the next several weeks concerning the intersection and impact of different types of teas on cardiovascular function.
Tune in on Sunday for more!
Keep ticking, everybody!
P.S. I apologize for the delay in publishing this article. I was traveling and doing field research for the past two weeks, and my computer's internet connection was very unreliable. For updates on that, please check out my Instagram and TikTok.
Reference List:
Godman, H. (2025). Does Drinking Tea Really Help Health? [online] Harvard Health. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/does-drinking-tea-really-help-health.
Lange, K.W. (2022). Tea In Cardiovascular Health And Disease: A Critical Appraisal Of The Evidence. Food Science and Human Wellness, 11(3), pp.445–454. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fshw.2021.12.034.
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