back to article Tea tipplers are more likely to live longer, healthier lives than you triple venti pumpkin-syrup soy-milk latte-swilling fiends

Tea lovers that chug three or more cups of the warm nectar per week are more likely to live longer than those that drink tea less often, or never touch the wonderful stuff. “Habitual tea consumption is associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease and all-cause death,” said Xinyan Wang, a researcher at the Chinese …

  1. Jan 0 Silver badge

    Although SE Asia produces wonderful coffee, won't the majority of the non tea drinkers in this study drink water, fruit juicers and beer?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Yep.

      Correlation =/= cause. Would have to see if it is, or even possible (as many lie about consumption, has killed family and others we know), to control for alcohol consumption taking the place of "alternatives" to drinking tea in the study.

      (Though as you say, regional differences in consumption and lifestyle would also have a drastic difference. If poor drink less tea, and rich drink more, giving the poor more tea instead of better healthcare, won't help em!)

      1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

        Re: Yep.

        Scientists here at the Institute of Studies, compared tea drinking monks in a Tibetan monastery with coffee drinkers in Syria and concluded that tea drinking protects you from nerve gas.

        We are also investigating complaints that there have been no proper double-blind trials of the effectiveness of parachutes and intend to replace half the chutes in the Army Parachute display team with anvils.

        1. Rich 11

          Re: Yep.

          You joke (and rightly so), but this is exactly what the bastard stupid flake wing of anti-vaxxers want to do: not give half of kids their MMR shots and see what happens in a country over five or ten years. To be fair, even some anti-vaxxers think this is a step too far.

          1. arctic_haze

            Re: Yep.

            That experiment has already been done willy-nilly in Samoa. The results were not good.

    2. Venerable and Fragrant Wind of Change

      They may have drunk pretty poorly. This is a study on older generations, so they'll have grown up in what was then the third world. Tea-drinking may have been a luxury beyond the poorer among them, and the correlation could be no more than with being comfortably-off.

      1. phuzz Silver badge

        Or for that matter, because tea drinkers are consuming boiled water, maybe they're just less likely to pick up waterborne diseases etc.?

        1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          So should be compared to beer drinkers

  2. Alex Read

    missing details

    loose-leaf vs bags vs powdered? What hidden association to the chinese green tea production organisations did the researchers have (as is typical in such studies)...

    1. Twanky
      Coat

      Re: missing details

      Tea bags? Yes, I think this is the one. Here's your coat. You're welcome.

      Powdered? You monster!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: missing details

        No, they were also warning of the powdered stuff. As if this study was done with that, it might be some sort of Umbrella Corporation style outbreak!

      2. Dr_N
        Trollface

        Re: missing details

        Matcha, the only drinkable tea, is in powder form.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: missing details

          Ignore the downvotes they know not what they speak of

          1. Captain Scarlet Silver badge
            Mushroom

            Re: missing details

            We devoted to particular tea brands will never change (Unless its on special offer and comes with a free cup/stuffed toy)!

            1. Dr_N

              Re: missing details

              Even I have a PGTips Monkey.

              1. Captain Scarlet Silver badge

                Re: missing details

                I wasn't going to name brand (I get Twinnings everyday cheap so thats my choice), but yes even I have a PG Tips Monkey and Tetley Tea Teaspoon (I think Twinnings need to give away a tea caddy or something)!

        2. Neil Barnes Silver badge
          Coffee/keyboard

          Re: missing details

          Matte Leão? World famous in Brasil?

          Bah. Something almost but not entirely unlike tea.

          Lapsang Souchong for the win!

          1. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge

            Re: missing details

            Lapsang Souchong is great. I frequently have it in the afternoon, and then some colleagues think their computer might be overheating when I enter their offices, with my steaming mug of smokey Lapsang Souchong.

            Keemun black teas have the advantage that they never turn bitter if you forget to take the infuser out of your mug.

            1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
              Happy

              Re: missing details

              I frequently have it in the afternoon

              OK, and after the boasting, what about your tea habits?

    2. yoganmahew

      Re: missing details

      Lard factory finds lard is great for you.

      1. bombastic bob Silver badge
        Devil

        Re: missing details

        compared to trans-fatty hydrogenated vegetable shortening, I would say so!

        1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

          Re: missing details

          > trans-fatty hydrogenated vegetable shortening

          I don't think that is an acceptable term anymore

          They are flexible-gender body-positive special-educational persons of restricted height

          1. OssianScotland

            Re: missing details

            Bingo!!!!

          2. IareFlash

            Re: missing details

            Woke for the win!

      2. Cederic Silver badge

        Re: missing details

        Why do the two words 'lard factory' give me a warm happy feeling inside.

    3. Ken Moorhouse Silver badge

      What hidden association to the chinese green tea production organisations did the researchers have?

      They think we are all mugs.

    4. TRT Silver badge

      Re: missing details

      Substances almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I don't believe that, my granddad drank tea all his life and died in his twenties fighting in the war.

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      But with milk or lemon ?

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        I don't think you'd get far fighting a war with either milk or lemon

        1. OssianScotland

          Badly curdled milk, to force the enemy to wear NBC gear for the smell. Alternatively water-pistols filled with lemon juice (obviously not both at the same time).

      2. stiine Silver badge
        Mushroom

        I'd have guessed: bullets, but to each his own.

  4. Charlie Clark Silver badge

    Nothing new here

    Black tea also has anti-oxidants and, as long as you don't drink it with sugar – which only perverts do – has long been considered to be "beneficial". Or at least not harmful. Fermentation is a trade off: personally I find green tea very harsh. I seem to recall that tea is also a good source of fluoride, but could be wrong.

    1. graeme leggett Silver badge

      Re: Nothing new here

      Tea is a good source of fluoride for winding up the anti-fluoride crowd.

      1. FlamingDeath Silver badge
        IT Angle

        Re: Nothing new here

        "Tea is a good source of fluoride for winding up the anti-fluoride crowd."

        Ignorance is bliss, I guess this is why you're so blasé about it

        Industralists are clapping their hands, thanking people like you

        You've saved them Trillion$ in responsible disposure costs

        You sir, are a filter, well done

        Oh and by the way, cigarettes are healthy, the PR company said so /Sarcasm

        I thought IT people were inquisitive, I know I am

        1. Jan 0 Silver badge

          Re: Nothing new here

          That linked article is a pretty good summary of the pros and cons of fluoride water treatment, from a mid twentieth century viewpoint. The author strays from neutrality by careful use of pejorative words like pollution (like weeds, pollution is something that's not owanted in particular contexts.) Pretending that FSA is something frightening, but carefully not revealing what FSA is. (Fluorosilicic acid. OOH! It's an acid! Run for the hills. Err wait, I've got acid in my stomach;) If FSA is contaminated with arsenic, then it requires further treatment, not abandonment.

          Flaming Death, via Frank Zelko, seems to think that we should have waited until the 21st century before introducing fluoride for the prevention of tooth decay. I'd like to know how much chemistry Frank Zelko has been taught.

          In the light of 21st century knowledge, we can now further optimise the use of this frightening pollutant:). Does Flaming Death have a better plan to optimise fluoride levels in humans?

    2. Inventor of the Marmite Laser Silver badge

      Re: Nothing new here

      Yup. Tea, black, noilk, no sugar and not overbrewed. Perfect. Once you're used to tea without milk, going back to milk in tea actually tastes disgustingly greasy.

      1. IceC0ld

        Re: Nothing new here

        yea, Earl Grey, no milk, my guilty pleasure

        although a trough full of Guinness would be my REAL pleasure :oP

      2. Charlie Clark Silver badge

        Re: Nothing new here

        I can't drink black tea without milk or lemon juice: the physical reaction is simply too strong. Never tastes greasy to me, but, in hard water areas it's likely to taste sweet because of the lactose in the milk. NB. without some kind of acid regulator, it's not so good for the teeth.

      3. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

        Re: Nothing new here

        ISTR reading a an SF book many, many years ago where the heroes had hot black tea with a knob of butter as part of their breakfast.

        (I have a feeling it may have been an E, E, "Doc" Smith book, probably a Skylark series book - I was very young then!)

        1. hplasm
          Coat

          Re: Nothing new here

          "...heroes had hot black tea with a knob of butter"

          Not EES, but a story called "Man of Steel, Knob of Butter"?

          (I jest)

    3. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Devil

      Re: Nothing new here

      well I like Earl Grey (black tea) with enough sugar in it to kill the bitter... as well as my daily quad cappuccino with lots of "fake sugar": (stevia) in it, and heavy cream in the foamy stuff. An chocolate syrup. yum!

      I often use bags of Twining's English Breakfast to make iced tea. 4 bags makes 1 gallon of it (on the stove for ~10 minutes in a large pot on high, just short of boiling) then cool it in a sink partly full of water, then into a pitcher with 2.5 cups equivalent of stevia, and some 'fake vanilla' to go with it, or maybe peppermint oil, or something equally interesting, THEN into the fridge. I typically do a gallon of such tea every couple of days. Gotta maintain those caffeine levels!

      /me wonders what kinds of looks of shock and horror will emerge from this description.

      1. Evil Auditor Silver badge
        Trollface

        Re: Nothing new here

        ...with enough sugar... ...stevia...

        You, you, you savage, you!

        (thumb up for courage)

      2. Holtsmark Silver badge

        Re: Nothing new here

        Having tried the "teas" available in the UK, I can onl comiserate with you for trying to make these liquid horrors drinkable. But do not despair.. There is more to tea than that which can be found on the shelves of Tesco.

        /me pours himself a cup of "Prinz von Homburg", a green tea blend from his local tea store, which by now is being exported to friends and familyy all over the world..

        1. werdsmith Silver badge

          Re: Nothing new here

          Plenty of non-Tesco good sources for decent tea available in the UK.

          However, there is nothing wrong with builders as a casual drink and of all the things to get supercilious about, a cup of tea has to be one of the most embarrassing.

          1. Holtsmark Silver badge

            Re: Nothing new here

            El Reg being a British (soon to be English) Rag, I expected some downvotes for that comment :)

            I just find it funny how the "nation of tea drinkers" often serve stuff that more or less comitted tea-drinkers from the rest of the world find awfull..

            Anyway.. to each his own.. It all depends on what one is used to.

            1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

              Re: Nothing new here

              I just find it funny how the "nation of tea drinkers" often serve stuff that more or less comitted tea-drinkers from the rest of the world find awful

              Holtsmark,

              There could be a simple reason for that. Because we're a nation of tea drinkers, everyone drinks the stuff. Which means that lots of people are drinking the cheaper ones or the brands that they grew up with.

              Whereas, if you come from a country where tea is only drunk by connoisseurs, then the people who drink it are going to be much more fussy about what they get.

              I like tea, and care about which ones I drink. But Sainsbury's Red Label is still delicious as a basic everyday "breakfast tea" blend. I prefer that to quite a few of the expensive speciality ones I've tried.

              It also matters if you have your tea with milk. A lot of the taste is disguised by milk, so if you've always drunk it with milk and two sugars - it doesn't matter as much what you're having. You drink what you're used to.

              I also find that loose leaf tea is probably not much "better" than tea from teabags. Although you're more likely to get better quality (and pay more for it). But the consistency of your tea will be much higher made in a teapot (even with tea bags) than made in a cup - where how you pour it and how long you steep it seems to make a much bigger difference in how the tea tastes.

              Darjeeling, black, no sugar please.

            2. werdsmith Silver badge

              Re: Nothing new here

              @Holtsmark

              I’ve been around the world and had some wonderful tea in Asia. But most of the world, I’ve tried tea when I can actually get it and I find they haven’t actually got a clue about tea. On the evidence of your comment I would say you were one of them.

              Tea here is a casual several times a day drink, and when it’s done right nothing beats it, Nothing.

      3. imanidiot Silver badge

        Re: Nothing new here

        Really? You voluntarily consume stevia? That stuff has a very distinct and very foul aftertaste for me that makes me avoid ANYTHING that contains it. Absolutely horrid stuff.

    4. werdsmith Silver badge

      Re: Nothing new here

      Cheap green tea products are quite harsh. You need to spend a bit more to get the smooth ones.

      Double Dragon Organic Green tea from H&B is a good low cost choice. Don't brew it too long, don't squeeze the bag and you will get smooth green tea.

      As for health properties, I believe that anyone who actively uses green tea is probably someone who mindfully wants to look after themselves in general so are probably making healthy choices in general and their good condition is not necessarily down to the tea.

      I drink tea any time anything needs sorting out and it seems to fix everything.

      1. imanidiot Silver badge

        Re: Nothing new here

        Most important, unlike black tea, green tea should be set with water that has come off the boil and cooled a bit. 80 to 90 degrees C is usually recommended, depending on the tea. This can require some experimentation on how long to let the water cool. Some people don't even bring the water to a boil first, personally I think they are wrong. Boiling water on green tea actually brings out the less tasteful compounds.

        1. Charlie Clark Silver badge

          Re: Nothing new here

          Don't forget your altitude correction factors there: water boils at different temperatures depending upon atmospheric pressure, for which altitude is a good enough proxy. Then again, stuff also tastes different at altitude.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Nothing new here

            Of course stuff tastes different when you are that high...

            My coat is the one made with Tegridy.

  5. Muscleguy

    That final caveat is the killer, confounders to the left of 'em, confounders to the right of 'em.

    I suspect it's a trojan. When I'm sedentary I want to drink more coffee. When I'm active (distance running) my tastes change and I want tea. Black with lemon, preferably Russian Caravan tea. I happen to have a mug of it beside me right now.

    1. lglethal Silver badge
      Trollface

      Your typing on el reg whilst Distance Running? Thats commitment to being a commentard!!!

      1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
        Happy

        Typing while running is the easy bit. It's holding (and not spilling) the tea that takes the effort...

    2. stiine Silver badge
      Thumb Up

      You type well for someone distance running.

  6. chivo243 Silver badge
    Headmaster

    Hopes up, dashed

    Damn, green tea... should be called something different? Should tea ever be green??

  7. Will Godfrey Silver badge
    Happy

    O No

    I've been drinking the wrong type tea all these years.

    How will I ever get to be ...

    Oh!

    1. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Devil

      Re: O No

      black tea has all the good stuff in it, too, just drink MORE of it, and you'll also have the benefit of CAFFEINE!

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Devil

    Tea won't help

    All the tea in China won't prevent my heart attack. It may combat free radicals but it doesn't work on radical policies. Green tea is just no match for orange hair.

    1. Korev Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: Tea won't help

      Isn't Trump Teatotal?

    2. FlamingDeath Silver badge

      Re: Tea won't help

      " Green tea is just no match for orange hair."

      Fuck off you biggot

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        FlamingDeath

        It's BIGOT

        Learn to spell, fucking moron.

        1. bombastic bob Silver badge
          Coat

          Re: FlamingDeath

          he may have been thinking of a slightly DIFFERENT word...

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Bob Re: FlamingDeath

            extremely apposite observation there Bob.

  9. Imhotep

    I'll Make That Trade

    Trade 1.4 years of my life for not having to drink large quantities of green tea? Sounds fair.

  10. FlamingDeath Silver badge
    Alert

    Details?

    This article doesnt mention anything about whether the tea was loose or bagged

    Teabags (not all brands) contain plastic, and with plastics there are plasticisers.

    I'm pretty sure those gender bending chemicals are not healthy, but what the fuck do I know

    1. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Devil

      Re: Details?

      "gender bending chemicals"

      those are found in SOY, and unless you put soy milk into your tea, you're fine.

      1. imanidiot Silver badge

        Re: Details?

        Actually, the link between soy and hormone production is tenuous at best and disputed. The effects of plasticizers on hormone levels have been linked much more clearly. How much plasticizer is going to leach out of a teabag and whether that amount will have any effect is another matter. I prefer good quality loose leaf tea over a teabag anyway since what ends up in the bags is usually the cheapest shit they can find at the time and the loose leaf is quite a lot better quality.

  11. Chairman of the Bored

    Erm...

    So what they're saying is that Chinese with enough money to pay for quantities of high end stuff live longer? No dip. Wealth usually correlates with longevity

    1. ibmalone

      Re: Erm...

      Where do you get that? Black tea is more common here, largely due to history and established preference, so it's easier to find cheap, but they're about the same price. It's probably cheaper than coffee.

      1. Chairman of the Bored

        Re: Erm...

        Where did I get that? Apologies, I forgot the British context and tea culture of El Reg. My wife's family is from China, and in that context the higher end black teas are for export, the swill is consumed domestically, and green tea is a premium product. Therefore people with higher socioeconomic status will generally grab the green... In part because it's a status thing. But these people will live longer anyways. Confounding factors.

        FWIW, if you order tea in a Chinese restaurant in the USA, you will invariably get an exceptionally weak cup of green. Ask for "whatever the manger is drinking"

        1. ibmalone

          Re: Erm...

          Thanks, I'd not realised the Chinese drink black tea domestically. Have been to Uzbekistan, where they largely seem to drink green, so it's not necessarily expensive, but I suppose it's down to how it's marketed.

  12. Grunchy Silver badge
    Flame

    I reject this story

    I only came here to express my discontent. Flame away.

    1. DJV Silver badge

      Re: I reject this story

      I don't like the cut of your trousers, my good man!

      (Is that flammable enough? I am not an expert in these things.)

      1. Imhotep

        Re: I reject this story

        Whoa, Whoa. He just asked to be flamed, not incinerated and the ashes blasted.

      2. EVP
        Flame

        Re: I reject this story

        While you are here, may I flame you a bit too? I dislike the overly sharp crease on your trouserers.

        I feel much better now that I’ve insulted someone badly. What a great way to start a day!

        Flame away, please.

      3. hplasm
        Happy

        Re: I reject this story

        "I don't like the cut of your trousers, my good man!"

        I don't like your Tweed, Sir!

  13. Sandtitz Silver badge
    Coat

    incomplete results

    No mention of Ricola!

  14. Inventor of the Marmite Laser Silver badge

    And what about Gunpowder Tea? Eigh? And what about White Tea? Both lovely.

    1. elenmirie

      Gunpowder tea is green tea, and white tea is green tea only eversomuchmoreso.

      1. ibmalone

        I started composing a comment along these lines yesterday, then discovered that white tea (like black tea) is not actually steamed as green tea is, so it's less processed than either black or green.

  15. TWB

    My problem with tea

    I love it, but I always want a biscuit (or many) with it, so tea may shorten my life indirectly.

    The thing is with these 'xxxxx extends your life' claims, is that longer lives are not always more enjoyable, you may suffer for longer at the end. It's a bit like when people/commentators/journalists/politicians say "we're all living longer - which is a good thing" - really?.....I can think of loads of downsides to people living longer.

    1. Imhotep

      Re: My problem with tea

      That's why I keep my Enemies List up to date: so I can God updated on who needs to go.

      Of course, my prayers also have to include the reminder that only my list is valid, because theres some awful people out there that may have their own ideas......

    2. TimMaher Silver badge
      Angel

      Re: My problem with tea

      I’m sorry @TWB but you have to give up sex, alcohol and smoking.

      Will I live longer doctor?

      No. But it will feel like it.

    3. Blofeld's Cat
      Coat

      Re: My problem with tea

      A centenarian being interviewed on her 100th birthday, was asked what one thing she considered had most contributed to her long life.

      She paused for a moment and then said, "Having the measles as a young child".

      The interviewer looked puzzled and asked for clarification.

      "Well", said the centenarian, "they wouldn't allow me to board the Titanic in 1912".

  16. mmccul

    Fermentation is not oxidation

    The article mixed up how black tea is made (fully oxidized) with how pu-erh tea is made (fermented, in some cases over many years).

    (As I finished a cup of loose leaf pu-erh (vs cake or tuo cha form) while reading this article).

    1. Evil Auditor Silver badge
      Devil

      Re: Fermentation is not oxidation

      How do you prepare pu-erh that it doesn't smell of poultry manure? Or is that part of the experience?

  17. Shooter

    Unfortunately,

    my urologist informs me that green or black teas are contraindicated due to my issues with kidney stones.

    So herbal teas are it for me. Currently enjoying Orange Spice.

    1. Imhotep

      Re: Unfortunately,

      Love the smell of it too.

      1. Glenturret Single Malt

        Re: Sold as seen

        The smell of herbal tea is its only attractive feature in my experience.

    2. Venerable and Fragrant Wind of Change

      Re: Unfortunately,

      That's sad.

      Nothing sad about herbal tea - delicious. Just sad that you can't *also* drink green and black teas - delicious each in its own way. Life shouldn't be about either/or choices, it should be about a wide range of delights.

      1. IareFlash

        Re: Unfortunately,

        Herbal tea = Not tea

        In general plants that are not tea (leaves) in water are called a swamp.

    3. Neil Barnes Silver badge
      Coffee/keyboard

      Re: Unfortunately,

      Mmm... kidney stones! Crunchy (at least, mine are, though bloody painful).

      But nonetheless, if it doesn't have Camelia Sinensis in it, it's not tea. A tisane, perhaps; an infusion even, but never never never a tea.

      1. Mark #255
        Coat

        Re: Unfortunately,

        A tisane, perhaps; an infusion even[...]

        Also known as Marxist Tea (or, if you're surrounded by sufficiently well-read people, Proudhon Tea).

        Because proper tea is theft.

        (It's the one with the Centrist Dads' Jokes book in the pocket.)

    4. TRT Silver badge

      Re: Unfortunately,

      It only takes a small amount as well. A pico.

  18. Ken Moorhouse Silver badge

    So how much longer are you expected to live for each cup per week?

    No. of cups

    3 - long

    4 - olong

    5 - oolong

    6 - ooolong

    7 - oooolong

  19. Chris G

    Builder's tea

    Is the way to go, although I leave out the skip of sugar in my case. The ad used to claim 'So strong you'll grow a third bollock' which is what this study seems to contain, a lot of bollocks.

    Tea, if you enjoy it, will benefit you to some degree or other but as to whether or not it will help to prolong your life will depend on so many other factors.

    For example I find drinking tea while driving a large, fast motorcyle up (or down) a motorway can be potentially life limiting, while sitting at my PC with a pint porcelain mug of the aforementioned builder's beverage is only dangerous if I drop the boiling tea and heavy mug on my toe. Medical studies that are largely based on a single or narrow set of statistics are in real terms quite valueless, except to actuaries who may use the results to separate insured persons from larger amounts of premium .

    1. Venerable and Fragrant Wind of Change
      Pint

      Re: Builder's tea

      My ex terrified me by drinking tea while driving.

      Good builders helps keep me hydrated. Take it away and I could get dangerously dehydrated. Unless ... here's a radical idea ... I could find another way to imbibe pints of water. Hmmm, what else comes in pints? --->

      1. hplasm
        Coat

        Re: Builder's tea

        "Hmmm, what else comes in pints? --->"

        Elephants?

  20. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Sureley its the other way around.

    Don't they mean that some habits of people that live slightly longer include possibly drinking green tea?

    1. Imhotep

      Re: Sureley its the other way around.

      That is an excellent summarization, very succinct.

  21. beep54
    Devil

    Love this weird phrase

    all-cause death

    1. Imhotep

      Re: Love this weird phrase

      If you are arguing that the death rate among tea drinkers is 100%, I'd have to agree.

  22. Mark 85
    Devil

    Biased results?

    It's Chinese, they love their tea. The only way to get me to stop my coffee is death, either mine or anyone who tries to take it away.

  23. cheb
    Linux

    I drink mate, to match my desktop.

    1. hplasm
      Coat

      I drink mate, to match my desktop.

      A lot of people drink, then mate.

      Alcohol causes children!

  24. Evil Auditor Silver badge

    Tea lovers that chug three or more cups of the warm nectar per week

    Three... per week. Three's within the first couple of hours of each ordinary morning. Followed by countless more cups every day. From which dose do the negative effects kick in?

    And El Reg, where's the cuppa icon?

  25. 0laf
    Trollface

    Hmm onl;y with green tea and not taking into account other health factors. Dare I suggest that those who drink green tea regualrly are also statistically more likely to be the type of people who will eat more healthily.

    I'm not sure too many pasty loving human larballs are regular green tea drinkers.

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      Well, I love a green tea with a chinese takeaway. Or in a chinese restaurant. Or when I have sushi at the place next to the cinema, before going in to watch a film with the help of some friendly Maltesers...

      Though when I cook chinese food it tends to be jasmine tea at the moment.

      Sadly my lifestyle is not as healthy as it should be. So I'm hoping that all the tea I drink counteracts this. Pass the bacon!

  26. Paul Crawford Silver badge

    Amount?

    "three or more cups of the warm nectar per week"

    Per week? I was thinking more per hour!

  27. ThatOne Silver badge
    Devil

    Science has made a major leap

    Let me see if I get this straight: So people occasionally drinking a cup of tea might live up to a year more than those who never ever drink any tea? If this is an advertisement for tea the benefit is much too small, make it a decade, insist on good health till the end.

    First of all, the limit of "tea-drinking habit" is set so low it is hard to not be included, especially in a country where tea is traditional (I guess, never been there). So, who are those bad apples who never drink any tea, despite the environment? Hm?

    Second, one year is not much, it's all too near to the noise level. It might as well be caused by socio-economic differences (rich vs. poor, city dweller vs. peasant), did they filter for that?

    Third, there have already been number of studies (many to be found here on El Reg) proving that tea (and coffee, or tea, but not coffee, or coffee, but not tea - and wine too, red, but not white, actually white too, but not beer, although beer too) are lowering the risk of some specific health problems.

    If I had to summarize the whole discussion I'd say "Actually it seems that several traditional drinks might have some minor health benefits"... Yes, so we've been told.

  28. Chairman of the Bored

    Crap diets

    Sometimes there are exceptions to the rule.

    Many years ago I took my then 85-year-old grandmom to the doctor for an annual checkup. He gave her the traditional lecture about her crap diet: full of saturated fats, caffeine, sugar... And she asked him, "So, I'm 85 and I've outlived every one of my peers. So what you are saying is that if I eat a crap diet I won't live to old age? Well.....?"

    Doc: "umm.... er...."

    Grandmom, "With respect, young man, I've outlived three of YOU docs despite your fancy diets..."

  29. Dropper

    Tea and Beer

    https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/03/23/bmj_uk_alcohol_study/

    So a cuppa in the morning and a beer before bed.. heart attack risk reduced by nearly half!

    So can I cancel death completely by eating bacon sarnies with my tea and a vindaloo with my beer? If so, it would be the final proof that God is British.

  30. IareFlash

    Love Tea, Drinkers

    You only have to mention the blessed cuppa on this website and within minutes you have more prose on the subject than the combined works of Shakespeare.

    Flame away dear tea imbibers lets have a brewhahahaha!

    Bewleys English Breakfast, 1 sugar, full fat milk.

    I thank you.

  31. gerryatric

    Green Energy nee Green power tea rocks!

    Available from The Tiny Tea Tent at Glasto and other Fe$tival and Amazon Yogi ayurvedic tea is *so* much better than warm piss.

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