What’s the key to beating heart disease? Loads and loads of tea

The tea-loving people of Ireland will welcome the news that large amounts of the beverage helps reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 10 per cent.

Look hard enough and you’ll find studies that can prove virtually anything, so perhaps this latest one should be taken with two spoons of sugar, but researchers have found that the equivalent of up to eight cups of black tea a day can significantly reduce a person’s blood pressure.

According to a study led by Dr Jonathan Hodgson from the University of Western Australia, if a general population were to follow such guidelines, there would be a reduction of up to 10 per cent in high blood pressure prevalence and in turn, a 7-10 per cent reduction in the risk of heart disease.

As part of the study, a group of 95 men and women aged 35 to 75 were given three cups of powdered black tea solids each day for six months, or a flavour-matched non-tea 'placebo' drink.

Each tea drink contained 429 milligrams of polyphenols, plant chemicals with health benefits. A normal cup of black tea contains about three times less polyphenols, so the total amount drank by volunteers was the equivalent to about eight and a half cups of tea a day, a little more than a third of the amount consumed by an average Irish person.

Participants had normal to high blood pressure readings at the start of the study, but after six months, their blood pressure levels had reduced by up to 10 per cent.

Commenting on the study, Dr Tim Bond, from the UK Tea Advisory Panel (a job an Irish person can only dream of) said: "This is great news for tea drinkers for whom black tea is a very popular beverage."

Tracy Parker, dietician at the British Heart Foundation, urged caution, however, saying: "It is important to understand that a cuppa won't cancel out a poor diet or lifestyle.

Eating more fruit and vegetables, and keeping physically active are all well-established ways of lowering your blood pressure."

We might have to forego the milk, sugar and packets of biscuits, but knowing that tea is good for you is great news. In fact it's tea-rrific (We're very, very sorry).