Study Suggests Drinking Tea Could Lengthen Your Life

Wonderful news, guys - a study has found that drinking tea may boost your life expectancy. A perfect reason to brew up right now, eh?

Researchers from the University of Western Australia looked at over 1,000 older women, aged in their 70s and 80s, asking them to complete questionnaires about their diets. The study found that those who were knocking back the equivalent of two brews a day were 40 percent more likely to live longer lives.

The study looked into flavonoid intake - flavonoids are plant compounds found in a number of food and drinks, including tea, coffee and chocolate.

Scientists from the university looked at the link between flavonoid intake and the woman's risk of death from any cause over the next five years.

Researchers found that 88 percent of the women were still alive at the end of the five-year study, and it was good news for those of who love a cuppa, with those who had the highest flavonoid intake having the greatest reduced risk of death.

The 2015 study was published in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition and had the conclusion: "Using the most comprehensive flavonoid databases, we provide evidence that high consumption of flavonoids is associated with reduced risk of mortality in older women. The benefits of flavonoids may extend to the etiology of cancer and cardiovascular disease."

Speaking to the Daily Mail, independent dietitian Dr Carrie Ruxton, said: "Of course, you don't need to wait until old age to enjoy the benefits of tea.

"Studies in younger adults show that regular tea drinking lowers the risk of heart disease because tea flavonoids improve vascular flow.

PA

"Tea also contains a modest amount of caffeine which has been proven to boost alertness and concentration.

"New research shows that fluoride and flavonoids in tea are good for dental health as they kill off the bacteria that cause decay and bad breath."

Marvellous news, right? Unless you're unlucky enough to work among the 50 percent of the population that refuse to do a tea round at work, of course.

This study, by Hyper Recruitment Solutions, compiled results from 2,000 adult respondents, and revealed that up to half of people swerve drinking tea or coffee at work so they don't have to make a round. What sort of selfish monsters are we working with here, guys?

Commenting on the finding, the study's author wrote: "While employees are direct on some issues, they'd rather avoid the situation completely than feel obliged to make a brew for other."

Completely unacceptable.

Topics: Tea, Food, Coffee, health news, Australia

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19