A. Jeffrey Blumberg, PhD, director of Tufts HNRCA Antioxidants Research Laboratory, answers: The health benefits associated with drinking tea (green, oolong or black) are dose-related, i.e., the more you consume, the lower your risk for some chronic conditions, especially hypertension and coronary artery disease. Most observational studies suggest that people drinking one cup of tea daily have a lower risk than non-tea drinkers. Those drinking two to three cups daily have a lower risk than those drinking less and those drinking four or five or more cups daily have the lowest risk of all. Some acute benefits of tea on cardiovascular function can be observed after drinking a single cup, but longer-term clinical trials suggest several months of daily intake provide more meaningful outcomes.
