How Effective is Tea for Hypertension?

The benefits of tea for hypertension are many. A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine has revealed that a small cup of green or oolong tea each day for a year can lower the risk of hypertension by nearly 50 percent. Furthermore, consuming more tea on a daily basis for a year's time can lessen the risk of hypertension even more. This is something from which many people can benefit, because diet and lifestyle choices have been proved to not affect the overall effects of using tea for hypertension.

Hypertension, commonly referred to as high blood pressure, is when there is an above-average amount of pressure as blood travels throughout the body's arteries. Obesity, sodium and alcohol intake, a lack of vitamin D, stress and lifestyle choices such as frequent inactivity are all regarded as prominent contributors to hypertension. The American Heart Association maintains that hypertension affects more than 70 million individuals in the United States alone, with roughly two million of those individuals being teenagers and children. Hypotension is the direct opposite of hypertension, because it is a condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is dangerously low.

Individuals in the study of tea for hypertension by the Archives of Internal Medicine who claimed to drink more than a small cup of tea each day prior to the experiment were, statistically, more often obese, more prone to habitual smoking and drinking and less likely to eat the daily recommended amount of vegetables. Even so, they managed to have lower systolic and diabolic blood pressure levels than subjects who consumed no more than a small cup of tea on a daily basis. This suggests that there is a clear link between the amount of tea imbibed and the positive effects on hypertension.

Studies have shown that consuming 20 ounces (600 mL) or more of tea daily has the potential to lower one's risk of hypertension by approximately 65 percent, but anything less than four ounces (120 mL) daily for a year has little to no effect on the drinker. It also is crucial for the tea to be either green or oolong. Black tea, green tea and oolong tea all come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, but the importance appears to lie in how the tea is processed. Black tea is oxidized longer than green tea or oolong, and it also is fermented. The fermentation alters its natural antioxidants to a point where it does not carry the same health benefits that green and oolong tea do.

The precise component of tea that reduces the risk of hypertension has not been identified. Scientists believe that it most likely is attributable to caffeine, theanine, polyphenols, an extract in green tea or an undetermined compound. Regardless, the benefits of drinking tea for hypertension are well established.