Tea, coffee and water linked to longer life but too much can raise cardiovascular risk

A new study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that drinking seven to eight cups of tea, coffee and water per day could lower a person’s risk of mortality. But it has to be the right combination of these drinks to get the benefits and having too many was linked to an increased risks of heart issues.

The scientists noted: “Previous studies have highlighted the health benefits of coffee and tea, but they only focused on the comparisons between different consumptions.

“Consequently, the association estimate lacked a clear interpretation, as the substitution of beverages and distribution of doses were not explicitly prescribed.”

• 'I treat patients in Gaza, kids are being shot in stomach and left with stomas'
• Rattled Nigel Farage moans Keir Starmer put him at risk in unhinged Trump-style rant

The benefits of drinking enough water each day are widely known, but scientists were curious about how some of the nation’s other favourite drinks fared, namely tea and coffee. Looking at 182,770 adults from the UK Biobank who reported what they had consumed in the previous 24 hours during multiple data collections between 2009 and 2012.

Researchers found that having seven to eight drinks per day with a good mix of tea, coffee and water had the lowest risk of death from all causes and specific diseases like certain cancers and cardiovascular issues.

More specifically, having coffee and tea daily in a ratio of 2:3 was the most protective combination. This lowered the risk of death from all-causes, cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and digestive disease.

When people had more than four drinks per day, substituting plain water with coffee or tea was linked to a reduced mortality. However, when people started having nine drinks or more per day, this replacement was linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality.

Researchers concluded that for the best life-extending results, people should focus on simply getting enough fluids, around seven to eight drinks a day. It’s believed that most adults aren’t getting their recommended amount of fluid each day.

Once people are regularly getting enough fluids in, then the researchers recommended switching out plain water for a mix of coffee and tea. When people had less than four drinks a day in total, having coffee or tea didn’t provide any life-extending benefits

The scientists did admit their research had some limitations. Namely that the study cannot prove having these drinks caused this reduced risk in mortality but only that it has an observational link.

Additionally, the Biobank data didn’t provide specific detail about how people were preparing their drinks. Such as whether they added milk or sugar into their cuppas which could change it’s nutritional value and impact.

Nevertheless, 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.”