A cup of tea a day could be crucial to good health
It might not feel like it after cup number five on a dismal Monday afternoon, but it turns out that tea might be crucial to living a long, healthy life. That’s according to new research by the aptly named Tea Advisory Panel (TAP), based on more than 40 studies undertaken on the apparently manifold benefits of being a regular drinker of the nations favorite hot pick-me-up. First of all, it’ll do wonders for your heart. It’s suggested that four to five cups of black or green tea a day improves cardiovascular function, lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Not a bad tip for a country where cardiovascular disease kills 150,000 people a year, which works out as 26% of all deaths. And that’s not the whole story. Both black and green tea significantly reduce levels of the LDL cholesterol associated with cardiovascular risk, with those at highest risk seeing the greatest reduction. One 12 week study concluded that three cups of black tea lowered levels of da...