An 8-ounce cup of green tea gives you 28 mg of caffeine depending on how long it’s brewed, notes Mayo Clinic. Derocha says that people with caffeine sensitivity should watch how much green tea they drink, just like black tea. However, it’s worth noting that these benefits are strongest with habitual tea drinkers, and more so for those drinking more than one cup of green tea a day. Participants were split between two groups: habitual tea drinkers (three times or more a week) or not. After surveying 101,000 participants in China, scientists found drinking green tea was linked with approximately 25 percent lower risk of living with heart disease or after a stroke, the chance of dying from heart disease and stroke, and general death.

The benefits of green tea led researchers to declare that “tea drinkers live longer” in a study published in January 2020 in the European Society of Cardiology. “Steam tea leaves have a higher concentration of EGCG, an antioxidant that helps prevent plaque buildup in our arteries.”Īnd drinking green tea is also associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, especially in habitual tea drinkers, according to a review published in May 2022 in Food Science and Human Wellness. “Because green tea is a steamed tea leaf and not as processed as black or oolong, you’re going to get a little more of the tea leaves health benefits,” says Derocha. Powerful antioxidants in green tea - especially one called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG - can help prevent atherosclerosis and plaque buildup in the arteries. You’re not supposed to have tea with your meals for a reason.”įinally, Derocha says that black tea can interfere with mental health drugs, and you should speak to your doctor if you are taking medication or trying a new tea.įor your heart health, it pays to go green. “Tannins in black tea can also decrease iron absorption from plant-based foods,” Derocha explains. People with heart problems and those who are breastfeeding or pregnant should not consume more than 200 mg of caffeine daily, or roughly four cups of black tea daily.ĭerocha says that the tannins, a class of polyphenol, may also give people an upset stomach, among other potential side effects. While black tea has less caffeine than coffee, the caffeine level varies depending on the tea, brand, processed, and how long it steeps.

Black tea has the highest amount of caffeine out of any type of tea, with an 8-ounce cup containing 47 milligrams (mg) of caffeine depending on how long it’s brewed, notes Mayo Clinic. However, less caffeine does not mean there are no harmful effects associated with black tea. Results of a study testing the effects of black tea on rats, published in March 2018 in Lipids in Health and Disease Preventive Medicine, indicated that rats in the test group that ingested a theaflavin-based solution, another antioxidant polyphenol found in black tea, and saw a 10.39 percent reduction in cholesterol, 10.84 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol, and 6.6 percent reduction in triglycerides. He also notes this is due to polyphenols and flavonoids, antioxidants found in plants like tea lives, which research suggests can help prevent cell damage, reduce inflammation, and improve cholesterol levels. “Black tea has cardio-protective benefits that can improve blood vessel function and blood flow,” says Mintz. So which tea is best for you? Here are eight teas and how they can affect your heart. “In that case, you’re doing nothing for yourself.” “A lot of patients will drink fancy tea lattes and what they're going to get from that is a lot of sugar, calories, and carbs,” says Dr. Mintz, MD, director of cardiovascular health and lipidology at the Sandra Atlas Bass Heart Hospital at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, warns that no matter which tea you have, make sure to drink it as is. What also comes into play is how you prepare your tea, as results can vary in how it is brewed or served. “You can have three cups of tea a day, but sometimes it's green, sometimes it's black, sometimes it's herbal. “There are so many teas,” says Grace Derocha, RD, national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. A few can even be good for your heart or reduce your cholesterol. Some will keep you up and energized, while others will help you relax and go to sleep. These days, you can’t walk down your grocery store aisle without seeing tons of teas.

Sleepytime tea