Green Tea Reduces Risk of Hypertension

Noel Peterson, N.D.

Consumption of 120 mL per day (4 oz) or more of green or oolong tea in moderate strength for one year significantly reduces the risk of developing hypertension, according to results from an epidemiological study published in the July 26, 2004 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine .

"Tea contains more than 4000 chemical compounds that may affect the human body in many aspects," write Yi-Ching Yang, MD, MPH, and colleagues of the Medical College at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan.

To examine the long-term effects of tea drinking on the risk of newly diagnosed hypertension, the investigators recruited 1,507 subjects aged 20 years and older with no history of the disease. Of these, 600 subjects (39.8%) were habitual tea drinkers, consuming 1/2 cup per day or more for at least one year.

Subjects who drank 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups of tea per day showed a 46% decrease in risk of developing hypertension compared with nonhabitual drinkers. The risk further decreased by 65% in those consuming 600 mL (2 1/2 cups) or more of tea each day.

Many of you have noticed the familiar cup of Gyokuro green tea on my desk, and have read the other newsletter articles I've written over the years about my favorite green tea, Gyokuro. Gyokuro contains the highest concentration of beneficial flavones of any tea, and it is by far my favorite tasting green tea. Now you can add this blood pressure effect to it's long list of other benefits, including reduction in risk of heart disease, stroke, and skin cancer. Start drinking Gyokuro tea today!

This study was supported by grants from the National Science Council and the National Cheng Kung University Hospital in Taiwan.

Arch Intern Med. 2004;164:1534-1540