A good cup of tea with breakfast is something many of us enjoy. But now experts have agreed it is not only a pleasant way to start the day but also good for us.
New advice published by the European Society of Cardiology has added a plant bioactive found in the Great British cuppa to its diet advice. The group of cardiology experts recommend that people with heart and artery disease should aim to boos their intake of flavonoids to prevent further development of the condition.
And where better to find it than in one of the UKs most popular beverages. For the biggest dietary contributor in the UK to flavonoids – a type of polyphenol – is tea.
However despite almost three out of four people being concerned about their heart health most don’t know what polyphenols are. A study by the Tea Advisory Panel (TAP) showed almost eight out of 10 people didn’t know what they were and just one in five knew they could find them in a cup of tea, reports Gloucestershire Live.
Dietitian and TAP member Dr Carrie Ruxton says: “People have got heart health on their mind, yet they don’t always know what to do to improve it. As the TAP real-world research review found, most adults still don’t recognise polyphenols or know where to find them in the diet.
“More than one in ten thought you’d find them in margarine which is completely wrong. In fact, only a fifth of respondents linked the simple daily ritual of enjoying a cup of regular black tea with good heart health. This suggests there’s work to be done on educating the British public about the health promoting power of their daily cuppa.”
Scientists have long thought bioactive substances such as the flavonoids in tea, fruits and vegetables can positively impact blood pressure, blood vessel health, cholesterol levels, and inflammation which are important for heart health. Dr Ruxton added: “A review of the latest scientific research – Moving Beyond Nutrients – Tea Flavonoids and Human Health – is it time to consider food-based bioactive guidelines? – found loads of evidence for the health benefits of the nation’s beloved brew and even called for a specific dietary target to encourage people to get more polyphenols into their diets.”
She added: “Studies report up to a 19% reduction in the risk of developing chronic conditions, like heart disease, when diets are high in flavonoids. Most people can name red wine or berries as good sources of polyphenols. But, as the latest TAP real-world data review shows, many Brits don’t realise that tea is also a major polyphenol contributor and is good for the heart too. I think most people would be amazed to find out that something they love to do anyway is helping to support their heart health.”
According to the research people need to drink about four cups a day to get the best for their heart health. Dr Ruxton continues: “Over in the US, experts at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics [6] suggested we need intakes of 400–600 mg of one group of flavonoids, called flavan3-ols, to protect our heart and metabolic health. However, they added that food sources, such as tea and fruits, should be prioritised.”
The US panel also said that increasing flavan-3-ol intakes could have a beneficial effect on other related aspects of health, such as blood pressure and blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Dr Ruxton explains: “Enjoying four daily cuppas is the sweet spot if we want to get the health benefits that can come from consuming flavan-3-ols. Yet, as this latest real-world research data shows, as many as 43% of Brits are drinking less than 3-4 cups of tea a day.”
