Tea is one of the world's three major beverages. In addition to its fresh and fragrant taste, the rich substances it contains are also one of the reasons people enjoy drinking tea. As is well known, tea is rich in polyphenols. Polyphenols are antioxidants with excellent antioxidant functions that can eliminate harmful free radicals, fight aging, resist radiation, and have antibacterial properties.
But does drinking tea regularly really slow down the process of brain aging? Chinese scholars provide the answer. Addressing existing issues, they conducted extensive data analysis to arrive at more reliable conclusions.
On November 21, 2023, a research paper titled “Tea consumption and attenuation of biological aging: A longitudinal analysis from two cohort studies” by Professor Zhao Xing's team from the School of Public Health, West China Hospital, Sichuan University was published online in the prestigious international journal “The Lancet Regional Health-Western Pacific” (IF=7.1). The results show that regularly drinking tea can slow down the aging process, and drinking about 3 cups of tea or 6-8 grams of tea leaves per day may provide the most significant anti-aging effects.
In this study, there were 13,929 participants, including 7,931 participants aged 30-79 from the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) and 5,998 participants aged 37-73 from the UK Biobank (UKB) database. The types of tea consumed included green tea, Flower tea, dark tea, Black Tea, oolong tea, White Tea, etc. Drinking frequency categories included not drinking, drinking 1-2 days per week, drinking 3-5 days per week, and drinking every day, with each Cup being 200 milliliters. The amount of tea leaves consumed daily by the participants was also collected.
In the UKB cohort, similar information on tea consumption, including frequency and number of cups, was collected.
In both cohorts, participants were divided into four categories based on changes in their tea consumption status between baseline and the first follow-up survey: non-drinkers, non-drinkers becoming drinkers, drinkers becoming non-drinkers, and habitual drinkers (the CMEC cohort had an average follow-up of 1.98 years, and the UKB cohort had an average follow-up of 4.5 years).
01
Those Who Drink Tea Age More Slowly Than Those Who Do Not
The analysis results show that in both cohorts, drinking tea was associated with slowing biological aging.
In both the Chinese and British cohorts, compared to those who never drank tea, participants who transitioned from non-drinkers to drinkers showed a significantly slower rate of aging, slowing by 0.319 years (CMEC: β=-0.319, 95% CI: -0.620 ~ -0.017) and 0.267 years (UKB: β=-0.267, 95% CI: -0.831 ~ 0.297), respectively. Conversely, compared to regular tea drinkers, those who stopped drinking tea showed an accelerated rate of aging (CMEC: β=-0.165, 95% CI: -0.487 ~ 0.158; UKB: β=0.164, 95% CI: -0.428 ~ 0.756). Therefore, if you want to “live longer,” you might consider trying tea.
02
Drinking 2 to 3 Cups Per Day Has the Best Anti-Aging Effect
In both cohorts, the study results show that the rate of aging is lowest when drinking approximately 3 cups of tea per day, after which it stabilizes. Compared to non-drinkers, those who drink 2 to 3 cups per day have the best anti-aging effect (CMEC: β=−0.453, 95% CI: −0.815 ~ −0.090; UKB: β=−0.454, 95% CI: −0.788 ~ −0.121).
03
Green Tea Has the Best Anti-Aging Effect
The antioxidants in green tea help combat aging. If overoxidation occurs, large amounts of free radicals are produced, leading to faster aging and cell damage. SOD (superoxide dismutase) is a free radical scavenger that effectively clears excess free radicals and prevents damage caused by free radicals to the body. The catechins in green tea can significantly increase the activity of SOD, clear free radicals, and achieve an anti-aging effect.
04
Alcohol May Weaken the Anti-Aging Effects of Tea
Further research data shows that compared to those who consume alcohol, the anti-aging effects of tea are more pronounced in non-drinkers, especially in the transition from non-drinker to drinker.
In summary, the study not only confirms the correctness of “drinking tea for health,” but also provides a more scientifically based approach to drinking tea. However, questions regarding “how to drink,” “when to drink,” and “what type of tea to drink” require further research.
We hope everyone can use tea to embellish their lives and maintain healthy bodies.
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