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Healthy blood pressure acts as a silent guardian of our heart health. But high blood pressure, also called hypertension, occurs when blood flow pushes against vessels too forcefully.Picture blood pressure like the pressure of water flowing through a hose. Too much pressure can damage the hose, just as high blood pressure can harm our blood vessels and organs.
What Happens to Your Body When You Drink Tea Every Day
When it comes to drink choices to support blood pressure, tea is a stellar sip. But science appears to suggest that one type of tea rises above the rest when it comes to managing high blood pressure.
The #1 Best Tea for Lowering High Blood Pressure
Tea is one of the most popular beverages consumed in the world—second to plain old water.True teas, which include teas made from theCamellia sinensisplant, include black, green, white and oolong. These true teas are distinct from herbal teas, which come from an assortment of other herbs, spices and plants. True teas are a natural source of plant compounds and antioxidants that support many aspects of our health, including our hearts.
Among the four varieties of true teas, green tea appears to have the most clinical data suggesting that sipping it regularly is linked to improved blood pressure, making it the No. 1 best tea choice for hypertension. A meta-analysis evaluating the effects of green tea (via a drink or supplement) on high blood pressure found that green tea was effective in lowering blood pressure levels. Specifically, people benefitted from 3 mmHg and 1 mmHg reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively.
Additionally, the moderate amount of caffeine found in tea can stimulate a short-term increase in blood flow, potentially contributing to better overall cardiovascular health.
How to Include Green Tea in Your Diet to Support Hypertension
If you need a little sweetness in the mix, you can add some sugar, such as a touch of honey. Just be mindful of how much you add, as consuming too much added sugar is linked to elevated blood pressure in certain folks.
Besides a classic cup of tea, try anApple-Cider Vinegar Tonicor aMatcha Green Tea Latte. At breakfast time, whip up aGreen Tea-Fruit Smoothie.
Bottom Line
When it comes to what you drink, green tea appears to be one of the best blood-pressure-friendly choices out there. Green tea contains compounds that have important roles in relaxing smooth muscle contraction, enhancing blood vessel dilation, reducing vascular inflammation and combating oxidative stress, all of which are important to manage hypertension.
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.American Heart Association.What is High Blood Pressure?Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.Tea.Yıldırım Ayaz E, Dincer B, Mesci B.Effect of Green Tea on Blood Pressure in Healthy Individuals: A Meta-Analysis.Altern Ther Health Med. 2023;29(5):66-73.Peng X, Zhou R, Wang B, et al.Effect of green tea consumption on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials.Sci Rep. 2014;4:6251. doi:10.1038/srep06251Voskoboinik A, Koh Y, Kistler PM.Cardiovascular effects of caffeinated beverages.Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2019;29(6):345-350. doi:10.1016/j.tcm.2018.09.019Li D, Wang R, Huang J, et al.Effects and Mechanisms of Tea Regulating Blood Pressure: Evidences and Promises.Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1115. doi:10.3390/nu11051115Mansoori S, Kushner N, Suminski RR, Farquhar WB, Chai SC.Added Sugar Intake is Associated with Blood Pressure in Older Females.Nutrients. 2019;11(9):2060. doi:10.3390/nu11092060
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.American Heart Association.What is High Blood Pressure?Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.Tea.Yıldırım Ayaz E, Dincer B, Mesci B.Effect of Green Tea on Blood Pressure in Healthy Individuals: A Meta-Analysis.Altern Ther Health Med. 2023;29(5):66-73.Peng X, Zhou R, Wang B, et al.Effect of green tea consumption on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials.Sci Rep. 2014;4:6251. doi:10.1038/srep06251Voskoboinik A, Koh Y, Kistler PM.Cardiovascular effects of caffeinated beverages.Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2019;29(6):345-350. doi:10.1016/j.tcm.2018.09.019Li D, Wang R, Huang J, et al.Effects and Mechanisms of Tea Regulating Blood Pressure: Evidences and Promises.Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1115. doi:10.3390/nu11051115Mansoori S, Kushner N, Suminski RR, Farquhar WB, Chai SC.Added Sugar Intake is Associated with Blood Pressure in Older Females.Nutrients. 2019;11(9):2060. doi:10.3390/nu11092060
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
American Heart Association.What is High Blood Pressure?Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.Tea.Yıldırım Ayaz E, Dincer B, Mesci B.Effect of Green Tea on Blood Pressure in Healthy Individuals: A Meta-Analysis.Altern Ther Health Med. 2023;29(5):66-73.Peng X, Zhou R, Wang B, et al.Effect of green tea consumption on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials.Sci Rep. 2014;4:6251. doi:10.1038/srep06251Voskoboinik A, Koh Y, Kistler PM.Cardiovascular effects of caffeinated beverages.Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2019;29(6):345-350. doi:10.1016/j.tcm.2018.09.019Li D, Wang R, Huang J, et al.Effects and Mechanisms of Tea Regulating Blood Pressure: Evidences and Promises.Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1115. doi:10.3390/nu11051115Mansoori S, Kushner N, Suminski RR, Farquhar WB, Chai SC.Added Sugar Intake is Associated with Blood Pressure in Older Females.Nutrients. 2019;11(9):2060. doi:10.3390/nu11092060
American Heart Association.What is High Blood Pressure?
Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.Tea.
Yıldırım Ayaz E, Dincer B, Mesci B.Effect of Green Tea on Blood Pressure in Healthy Individuals: A Meta-Analysis.Altern Ther Health Med. 2023;29(5):66-73.
Peng X, Zhou R, Wang B, et al.Effect of green tea consumption on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials.Sci Rep. 2014;4:6251. doi:10.1038/srep06251
Voskoboinik A, Koh Y, Kistler PM.Cardiovascular effects of caffeinated beverages.Trends Cardiovasc Med. 2019;29(6):345-350. doi:10.1016/j.tcm.2018.09.019
Li D, Wang R, Huang J, et al.Effects and Mechanisms of Tea Regulating Blood Pressure: Evidences and Promises.Nutrients. 2019;11(5):1115. doi:10.3390/nu11051115
Mansoori S, Kushner N, Suminski RR, Farquhar WB, Chai SC.Added Sugar Intake is Associated with Blood Pressure in Older Females.Nutrients. 2019;11(9):2060. doi:10.3390/nu11092060
