Whether you're team "builder's brew" or team green tea, this one's for you.
The study
Researchers followed 485,934 adults in China for about nine years. During that time, 14,863 of them developed a disease of the heart or blood vessels.
People who drank tea regularly had an 11% lower risk than those who didn't. The lowest risk showed up at about six to eight cups a day, among people who drank tea at least once a week. And black tea showed a clearer link than green tea. Good news for the British.
The catch
Tea drunk "burning hot" was linked to a higher risk. The study didn't say exactly how hot is too hot. So let it cool for a minute. Your tongue will thank you too.
The healthiest group in the study also didn't smoke and moved a lot. So tea is a teammate, not the whole team.
What it does and doesn't mean
This kind of study shows a link, not proof that tea did it. Tea drinkers may live differently in other ways. The work was led by Zichen Ye, with Liming Li as the corresponding author, and published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
What it means for you
If you already love tea, there's no reason to stop. Just skip the scalding sip. And if eight cups sounds like a lot, remember: that is a lot of trips to the bathroom too.