BY Courtney Huckabay
Drinking tea may benefit the heart and blood vessels. Tea drinkers are less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those who donÛªt drink this soothing beverage. The hefty dose of flavonoids in tea may keep the heart and blood vessels healthy, according to the July 2015 Harvard HeartåÊLetter.
ÛÏTea is a good source of compounds known as catechins and epicatechins, which are thought to be responsible for teaÛªs beneficial health effects,Û says Dr. Howard Sesso, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and associate epidemiologist at Brigham and WomenÛªs Hospital. These compounds belong to the flavonoid family of plantåÊchemicals.
Flavonoids have been shown to quell inflammation. That, in turn, may reduce the buildup of cholesterol-filled plaque inside arteries. Green tea has slightly higher amounts of flavonoids than blackåÊtea.
Short-term studies have shown that drinking tea may improve vascular reactivityÛÓa measure of how well blood vessels respond to physical or emotional stress. ThereÛªs also evidence that drinking black or green tea may lower harmful LDL cholesterolåÊlevels.
Several large, population-based studies show that people who regularly drink black or green tea may be less likely to have heart attacks and strokes. However, people who drink tea tend to be different from people who donÛªt drink tea. As a result, researchers canÛªt be certain if itÛªs the tea or something else that tea drinkers do that lowers their risk of cardiovascularåÊdisease.
ÛÏDrink tea if you enjoy it, in moderation, and not because youÛªre taking it as a medicine,Û says Dr. Sesso. Stirring in a little sugar is fine, but adding a few heaping teaspoons of sugar probably cancels out teaÛªs possible benefits, he notes. And beware of the sugar found in many bottled teas, which can contain up to nine teaspoons of sugar per servingÛÓalmost as much as colas and other softåÊdrinks.
Read the full-length article: ÛÏBrewing evidence for teaÛªs heart benefits.Û
AudienceSCAN research shows that 33% of consumers drink hot tea. You might be surprised to learn that 41% of them are men. Another 41% of Hot Tea Drinkers enjoy trying out new recipes, so try advertising in spaces where they find cooking ideas, like on Pinterest and food blogs. They are health-conscious ÛÒ 53% say they want to purchase products that make them feel healthy. Definitely play up the health aspects of teas your retailers sell and brew. 20% of tea drinkers get most of their local news from newspapers.
AudienceSCAN data is available as part of a subscription to AdMall for Agencies. Media companies can access AudienceSCAN data through the Audience Intelligence Reports inåÊAdMall.