Results Of The Literature Search
The detailed process of the study selection is depicted in Fig. . In total, 1736 potentially relevant articles were initially identified from PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library, collectively with manually searched articles. A total of 1631 articles were excluded, either because of duplication or because they were deemed irrelevant on the basis of the article title and abstract screening. We included 105 articles in the full-text review during which 74 articles were excluded for various reasons: 27 articles did not report enough details for inclusion, 25 articles did not report relevant outcomes, 8 articles were excluded because the subjects had been treated with black tea or oolong tea, 5 studies were< 2weeks in duration, 9 studies used green tea a multicomponent supplement in the experimental group. Thus, 31 articles were eventually selected for inclusion in the meta-analysis.
Fig. 1
Flow diagram of the study selection procedure presenting the number of eligible articles included in the meta-analysis
Black Tea Benefits For The Heart
Total tea intake, as well as both green and black tea intake individually, are related to reduced cardiovascular disease risk. Several studies have shown black tea in particular to help lower risk factors for cardiovascular disease including LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
In one study, for example, participants drank either 200 ml of black tea or plain hot water three times per day for 12 weeks. The results showed significant reductions in triglyceride levels and LDL/HDL cholesterol ratio in the black tea group.
There were also non-significant increases in HDL levels , and reductions in fasting serum glucose by 20.3% in men and 14.8% in women.
Black tea can also help lower other risk factors for heart disease, especially those related to weight gain and obesity. Researchers found that drinking three cups of black tea per day for three months inhibited weight gain and reduced both waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio. Studies suggest that black tea may help prevent diet-induced obesity by inhibiting the absorption of fats in the intestine.
Tea For Heart Healthimprove Blood Pressure And Cholesterol
Choosing a good tea for heart health is easier than you may think. There are plenty of herbal teas that are both healthy and full of flavor.
With the increase of stress and constant daily pressure it is important to do whatever is possible to prevent heart disease.
A good cup of tea can be both relaxing and heart-friendly.
So what should you look for in an herbal tea to help the heart? Well, to have a healthy heart the most important things you should do are: lower bad cholesterol levels, decrease blood pressure and regulate your heart rate.
And there are plenty of herbal teas that can help your blood to flow properly and your heart pump happily.
Come and learn what herbal infusions can do for your heart!
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Pack Walnuts With Lunch
A snack that helps lower cholesterol can still be satisfying. About 1.5 ounces of nuts per day are part of a heart-healthy diet, says Blake. Nuts can take the edge off hunger when you might otherwise end up snacking on unhealthy options that wont improve cholesterol. The same Spanish study that demonstrated the benefits of olive oil found that replacing 40 percent of your daily saturated fat with about this amount of walnuts or almonds lowered LDL cholesterol by 10.8 and 13.4 percent, respectively.
Reading The Tea Leaves
Among the studies Maron would like to see are a similar trial evaluating green tea extract without theaflavins, one looking at more diverse populations, and a trial combining statins with the tea extract.
He says there are plenty of apparent health benefits to drinking green or black tea, but drinking a few cups a day probably won’t impact cholesterol levels.
Researcher Mohsen Meydani, DVM, PhD, who is studying the anti-cancer properties of tea, says there is growing clinical evidence that drinking moderate amounts of tea can protect the heart. He cites a study from Boston University that concluded that drinking four cups of black tea a day can reverse abnormal blood vessel functioning that leads to heart attack and stroke.
“At this point, I think it is most prudent to recommend drinking tea rather than taking tea extract supplements to get the benefits, because we are still very early in these studies,” says Meydani, who is a professor of nutrition at Tuft University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy.
“Drinking tea is an enjoyable thing, and just about everyone can drink a few cups a day.”
Archives of Internal Medicine
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Green Tea To Lower Cholesterol
Along with the basic components of a heart-healthy diet, certain specific foods or supplements may also give a boost to your cholesterol-lowering powers. For example, the Mayo Clinic explains that artichoke extract, fish oil, flaxseed, niacin, oat bran and soy protein are just a few of the many supplements that may affect cholesterol levels. Green tea is another supplement that’s very easy to incorporate into your daily routine in a different way as a refreshing drink.
“Some studies suggest that drinking green tea may lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides ,” says Rebecca Yellin, RD, a registered dietitian with Montefiore Health System in New York City. “Having high LDL cholesterol and triglycerides have negative impacts on heart health. Researchers pose that catechins, a type of antioxidant found in green tea, is responsible for lowering these levels.”
In September 2020, researchers writing in Nutrition Journal published a review of 31 studies with more than 3,000 subjects that looked at the impact of green tea on cholesterol levels. What they discovered was that green tea has a significant effect on levels of bad LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol. It had less of an impact on triglyceride levels. What’s more, green tea did not affect levels of good HDL cholesterol, the review said.
Rooibos Tea Benefits And Creating A Herbal Tea Routine
This weeks habit has us adding a very easy hydration and antioxidant rich step into the morning routine we are building together over the course of the month. Ill share what my routine looks like, and then you can decide the best place to fit one or more healthful cups of herbal tea into your day. Its no secret that tea sets a kind of rhythym to my days. Acting almost like punctuation, herbal teas in particular bring much needed mini-pauses spaced around everyday moments. One such pause that adds a great deal of joy every morning is a large mug of rooibos tea .
Red rooibos tea very popular due to its sweet nutty taste and alluring colour. The research on rooibos is quite extensive due to a wonderfully diverse array of antioxidants and minerals which protect our bodies from free radicals, boost our immune system, fight diseases like cancer, heart disease, and Parkinsons, as well as increase energy and overall vitality.
So each day for me begins almost immediately with the habit of warm lemon water. After a shower I enjoy the essential green smoothie for breakfast and head to work. At the start of the work day, within the first 30 minutes, I drink a large mug of rooibos tea. 3 habits tackled before the day even really begins. Love that!
1 cup of rooibos and/or herbal tea a day over 7 daysIf you enjoy it, then 3-5 cups of herbal tea a day is even better
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It Is High In Minerals
Hibiscus tea is very popular all over the world and many places its consumed as a medicinal tea. It is naturally low in calories and is caffeine-free. According to USDA Food Database it does contain many minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium. Of course, the nutrition will also depend upon the other ingredients in the recipe.
Because hibiscus tea in itself is really tart, you often add sugar. This will naturally add to the carbohydrates and calories, but its still high in these minerals, making it a healthier drink than many others. Just keep the sugar in mind.
Chamomile Tea: Sleep Enabler
Though herbal teas do not come from the traditional tea plant, they still have some health benefits, says Brill of soothing herbal teas like linden or chamomile. These teas help with a less-direct, but still crucially important, benefit for cardiac wellness: sleep. One of the things many of my patients have issues with is getting enough sleep, says Steinbaum. Sleep is such an important part of restorative health for everyone. I tell people to get into the habit of having a nighttime routine to wind down, and include a cup of warm chamomile tea right before bed.
Patients with a coronary artery stent, or who are taking aspirin or Coumadin blood thinners, should consult their doctor before drinking chamomile tea, because it may increase risk for internal bleeding.
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Foods Labeled ‘low Cholesterol’
When you’re shopping and you see an item that says it’s low in cholesterol, you still need to check the nutrition label. If it’s high in saturated fat, it can raise your LDL cholesterol. Also check the serving size. It might be smaller than you think, and if you eat too much, you’ll get more cholesterol than you realized.
Make Citrus Juice Your Main Squeeze
Citrus fruit juices are also a good antioxidant-booster that could benefit your heart health and lower cholesterol levels. You can always squeeze orange/lemon into your water and drop a slice with the rind in there too to get the best benefit. Its not as powerful as cranberry juice. But it adds flavor to your water, which will help you drink more of it in the long run.
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Search Strategy And Eligibility Criteria
We explored PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from the index date of each database through September 2019 by using the following terms: green tea, tea component, green tea extract, tea solid, catechins, EGCG, Camellia sinensis, and tea polyphenols, which were paired with the following words: blood lipid, blood cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, or cardiovascular. We further restricted the search to studies on humans and to English articles. Additional studies not captured by our database search were retrieved via a manual search of references from the originally identified reviews and research reports.
Green Tea May Lower Heart Disease Risk
Here’s what studies have revealed about this popular beverage.
Lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease may be as easy as drinking green tea. Studies suggest this light, aromatic tea may lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, which may be responsible for the tea’s association with reduced risk of death from heart disease and stroke.
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Green Tea: Lower Lipids Less Plaque
For your heart health, it pays to go green. With green tea, the leaves have been harvested and allowed to wither, and then steamed. There is no oxidation, says Brill. She recommends choosing green tea as often as possible if you’re a tea drinker. Just dont ruin it with sugar, says Brill. Clinical studies on drinking green tea have found that it helps lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides good news for your heart. And drinking green tea is also associated with a lower risk of heart disease and death from heart attack or stroke, according to a study of more than 90,000 Japanese participants published in the March 2015 Annals of Epidemiology.
An 8 ounce cup of green tea gives you from 24 to 45 mg caffeine depending on how long its brewed, notes the Mayo Clinic. Powerful antioxidants in green tea especially one called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG can help prevent atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque in the arteries. The EGCG can help boost metabolism, helping to make it easier to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. In addition, green tea helps improve the function of endothelial cells in blood vessels, says Erin Palinski-Wade, RD, who works with heart patients and is also the author of Belly Fat for Dummies.
Prevents And Treats High Blood Pressure
This is also because of the anti-inflammatory reasons I stated in the weight loss paragraph. For it to lower blood pressure you would need to drink two cups a day. In a 2008 research study, the volunteers who drank hibiscus tea had a 7.2 point drop in their systolic blood pressure, compared to a 1.3 point drop in those who drank placebo.
- The tea with the most antiviral properties
- The antioxidants relieves pain and may help to get a good nights sleep
- Can boost hair growth and hair color
Im sure the list could go on, but you get the picture. Im not getting into detail on every point in this list, but Im linking to other great sources to get deep into the health benefits of hibiscus tea.
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Study Shows Tea Consumption Lowers Blood Cholesterol
Drinking tea lowered low-density lipoprotein, the LDL “bad” cholesterol, in a small group of volunteers in an Agricultural Research Service study reported in the October issue of the Journal of Nutrition. The study was led by research chemist Joseph T. Judd with the agency’s Diet and Human Performance Laboratory, one of seven laboratories at ARS’ Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center. ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific research agency.
“These findings illustrate the impact of specific types of health-promoting phytonutrients on the diet,” said Ed Knipling, Acting Administrator for ARS.
Judd’s study assessed the effects of black tea consumption on blood lipid concentrations in adults with mildly high cholesterol. Seven men and eight women were given five servings of black tea per day for three weeks, and a tea-flavored water for another three-week period. In a third study period, caffeine was added to the tea-flavored water in an amount similar to that found in the tea.
“Overall, we found a 6 to 10 percent reduction in blood lipids in black tea drinkers in just three weeks,” said Judd. The study showed no effect on high-density lipoprotein, the HDL “good” cholesterol. The study’s authors concluded that drinking black tea, in combination with following a prudent diet moderately low in fat, cholesterol and saturated fatty acids, reduces total and LDL cholesterol by significant amounts and may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
Final Thoughts On Teas For Cholesterol
Following a healthy diet has a major impact on reducing dangerously high cholesterol levels, and tea consumption can play a role in your diet as part of a healthy lifestyle.
In this article, we reviewed what could be the best teas to lower cholesterol, according to scientific evidence. Effective herbal teas to lower cholesterol may include ginger tea, bitter melon tea, rooibos tea, jasmine tea, hibiscus tea, peppermint tea, and dandelion tea.
If you prefer a traditional tea for cholesterol effects, black tea, green tea, oolong tea, or pu-erh teaalso called Chinese black teamay each work well.
How do you make tea to potentially lower cholesterol? Steeping green tea will take only two to three minutes steeping any longer will cause the tea to release tannins that make it bitter. Other teas will take three to five minutes to steep.
It is also a good idea to combine a healthy diet and tea consumption with exercise that consists of weight training and burst training. This can boost human growth hormone levels, which may naturally lower serum LDL cholesterol and increase serum HDL cholesterol.
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Drink Hibiscus Tea For Heart Health Lower Cholesterol And More
I first discovered the joys of hibiscus tea while traveling through Mexico and Central America late last year. After the first sip, I was instantly in love. The deep ruby hues of the drink itself, followed by the rich, natural sweetness and slightly sour aftertaste made for a wonderfully refreshing drink amidst the sweaty crowds of Playa Del Carmen, Mexico or the colonial chaos of Antigua, Guatemala.
Despite its seeming innocence and wondrously refreshing taste, experience has taught me to automatically distrust any food or drink I know nothing about, and this new red drink was no exception. While I could see that the bright, iridescent hummingbirds gave a big thumbs up to the hibiscus flower , the question was whether or not it was fit for human consumption.
After some preliminary research, however, I was delighted to find that hibiscus tea, in its purest form, has a wide range of health benefits. Some store-bought varieties of hibiscus tea may have added sweeteners. Instead, buy the straight powdered form of this nutritious flower, or even the whole dried flowers themselves, to work real wonders on your health.
If the boiled extract from one specific plant can achieve such global appreciation, clearly its something worth drinking. Here are a few of the reasons why you should jump on the bandwagon.
1. Treat high blood pressure
2. Lower cholesterol
3. Protect the liver
4. Relieve anxiety and depression
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How Much Is Safe
Cooking with ginger is safe for most people, but check with your doctor, especially if you have a health condition or if you want to take a ginger supplement. If you do not have high cholesterol, you probably do not need to start taking ginger daily to lower your cholesterol. Ginger can interfere with some medications or cause adverse effects if you take too much. When you decide to take a supplement, the University of Maryland Medical Center recommends that you do not consume more than 4 grams of ginger, or 2 teaspoons powdered. Pregnant women should not consume more than 1 gram — 1/2 teaspoon powdered — of ginger per day. Read labels if you are taking a ginger supplement, such as a capsule form of ginger.
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