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A new study highlighted in the British Journal of Nutrition indicates that drinking seven to eight cups of a combination of tea, coffee, and water each day may significantly lower the risk of early death. Yet, specialists caution that it’s crucial to maintain the right balance of these drinks for health benefits, as overconsumption is associated with increased heart risks.
The researchers noted: “Earlier research has shown the benefits of drinking coffee and tea, but they often compared different consumption levels without considering the balance needed.”
The findings didn’t clearly convey the optimal balance since previous studies didn’t specifically prescribe how to substitute one drink for another or how to distribute doses effectively.
Whilst the advantages of staying properly hydrated are well-established, scientists were keen to discover how tea and coffee measured up.
In the recent study, data from 182,770 UK adults in the UK Biobank were analyzed, tracking their drink consumption over 24-hour periods during several data collections from 2009 to 2012.
The research found that consuming seven to eight daily drinks, with a well-proportioned mix of tea, coffee, and water, offers the most protection against mortality from any cause and certain conditions, such as specific cancers and heart disease.
Most crucially, consuming coffee and tea daily in a 2:3 ratio proved the most beneficial combination.
This balanced consumption decreased the risk of death from various causes, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness, and digestive issues. The study suggests that for those drinking more than four beverages daily, replacing some water with tea could potentially diminish mortality risks.
However, if you’re having nine or more drinks daily, this switch could actually increase your risk of dying from heart disease.
The experts behind the study suggest that the key to longevity is simply staying hydrated, recommending around seven to eight drinks a day. It’s widely believed that most adults aren’t getting their recommended daily fluid intake to begin with.
Once you’ve got your hydration levels sorted, the researchers suggest only then swapping some of your water for a mix of coffee and tea. But if you’re having less than four drinks a day in total, don’t bother with the brew as it didn’t prove to have much of a benefit.
The scientists did admit their research had some limitations. For starters, they can’t prove that drinking these beverages directly reduces your risk of death, just that there’s an observational link.
Plus, the Biobank data didn’t give any specifics about how people were making their drinks. For example, whether they added milk or sugar to their tea or coffee, which could affect its nutritional value and impact.
Still, the researchers concluded: “These results highlight the importance of the rational combination of coffee, tea, and plain water, with particular emphasis on ensuring adequate total intake, offering more comprehensive and explicit guidance for individuals.”
