Why the Temperature of Your Tea Really Matters

You might want to let the kettle cool a bit before pouring your next cup of tea. A study tracking nearly 500,000 adults in China for an average of nine years found that drinking tea at least three times a week was linked to an 11% lower overall risk of vascular disease, including stroke and heart attack, with the risk of ischaemic stroke falling by 37% and cerebrovascular disease by 19%, according to the study published Wednesday in the Journal of Internal Medicine. But temperature mattered: tea described as burning hot was tied to a 16% higher risk of vascular disease, per Euronews, a finding that follows research linking very hot drinks to esophageal cancer.

Though the lowest estimated risk was observed with six to eight cups of tea per day (based on self-reported, non-standardized measurements), per the Independent, researchers don't recommend drinking that much, not least because of the potential caffeine consumption. They view moderately strong, non-scalding tea as best; black tea showed the strongest association, likely due to the anti-inflammatory theaflavins it contains, followed by green. All tea contains natural compounds called polyphenols, which act as powerful antioxidants and may protect the cells lining blood vessels and help arteries expand, an outside expert tells CNN. Researchers say the public can boost heart health by pairing tea consumption with exercise and not smoking.