Tea May Reduce Carotid Plaque Formation in Women

Research published in a recent issue of the American Heart Association Journal found significantly less plaque in the carotid arteries in women who regularly consumed tea (p=0.0001). The cross-sectional study involved 6,597 adults aged 65+ years. Greater benefits were seen in the highest tea drinking group – those who consumed three or more cups per day. For this group, 33.7 percent of the women had carotid plaques, compared to 42.5 percent and 45 percent of women who drank one to two or no cups of tea a day, respectively.

The results remained consistent after adjusting for potentially confounding factors such as smoking, coffee intake, diet and education. This association between tea consumption reduced plaques has new implications for heart disease prevention. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women. Debette S, et al. Tea consumption is inversely associated with carotid plaques in women. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2008;28;353-359.