Life is always a group of loyal “tea lovers”, can not drink the bland white water, drinking water must be tea. So, compared with few tea drinkers, what will be different in the body in the long run?
The latest scientific research has given a shocking conclusion: long-term tea drinkers (especially green tea), fewer brain lesions, cognitive decline slowed down significantly, the risk of Alzheimer’s disease is greatly reduced!
People who drink 3 cups of green tea a day have fewer brain lesions
As we age, the brain ages and memory is lost. Many people worry about what to do if they develop Alzheimer’s in the future. After all, no real cure has been found in medicine to date.
In 2025, an exciting study published in npj Food Science, a subset of the journal Nature, found that the more green tea people drank, the fewer cases of white matter lesions in the brain they had. White matter lesions in the brain are often seen as a harbinger of small vessel disease in the brain, and are closely associated with cognitive decline and dementia. In other words, drinking 3 or more cups of green tea a day is more likely to help protect your brain health.
A total of 8,766 participants, who were ≥65 years old, were included in this study, had their brains examined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and were categorized into 4 levels based on their daily green tea intake (one cup of approximately 200 mL as a standard unit):
- 0-200 ml of green tea per day (less than 1 cup)
- 201-400 ml of green tea per day (1-2 cups)
- 401-600 ml (2-3 cups) of green tea per day
- ≥601 ml (3 cups and more) of green tea daily
The final results revealed that the volume of cerebral white matter lesions in the brain showed a gradual downward trend with increasing daily green tea intake. It showed a curve of gentle decline:
- The volume of cerebral white matter lesions in the brain was 3% lower in people who drank 600 ml of green tea (about 3 cups) per day than in people who drank 200 ml of green tea or less per day.
- People who drank 1,500 milliliters of green tea (about 7 to 8 cups) daily had a 6 percent lower volume of white matter lesions in their brains than those who drank 200 milliliters of green tea daily or less (a more pronounced proportional drop).
The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of green tea may play a role in protecting the brain and preventing dementia by reducing blood vessel damage and promoting brain health, the researchers said. In other words, drinking green tea on a regular basis can help you “reduce a little white matter damage” and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Six benefits of long-term tea drinking will slowly emerge
- Slows aging
In 2024, researchers from the West China School of Public Health at Sichuan University published a study in The Lancet – Regional Health (Western Pacific) from a multi-ethnic cohort in China showing that drinking tea was associated with slower biological aging. Drinking 3 cups of tea (6-8 grams of tea) per day may have the most significant anti-aging benefits.
- Lower risk of death
Regular tea drinkers may live longer! In 2022, the Annals of Internal Medicine published a study that found that people who drank 2-3 cups of tea per day had a lower risk of death compared to those who drank ≤1 cup of tea per day. The risk of death doesn’t stay lower with too much tea, though, leveling off at 2-3 cups/day.
- Improvement of fatty liver
A clinical randomized controlled trial published in the journal Clinical Nutrition in 2024 by researchers from China Medical University found that EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), a major bioactive constituent of tea polyphenols in tea, helps to improve fatty liver by inhibiting the accumulation of lipids, suppressing inflammation, regulating lipid metabolism, preventing liver damage, and improving fatty liver.
- Low risk of diabetes
In 2023, researchers from CUHK Hospital affiliated with Southeast University presented a new study at the 2023 European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) annual meeting that showed that people who drank black tea every day had a 47% lower risk of type 2 diabetes and a 53% lower risk of pre-diabetes compared to those who never drank tea.
- Lower risk of cancer
In 2020, a study published in Advances in Nutrition found that drinking tea really can prevent cancer. Tea drinking is associated with a lower risk of stomach, colorectal, biliary tract, liver, breast, endometrial, ovarian, leukemia, lung, and thyroid cancers, and especially prevents cancer of the oral cavity.
- Healthier bowel
Additionally, studies have found that long-term tea consumption has the added benefit of maintaining gut health.2024 A study published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition by researchers at Zhejiang University found that black tea’s benefits to gut health extend beyond improving digestive issues; it also promotes overall health by maintaining intestinal homeostasis.2025 The study also found that black tea is associated with a higher risk of liver cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, lung cancer, and thyroid cancer.
Drink healthy tea, remember these 5 points
- Control the amount of tea consumed: 3-5 cups per day
It is recommended to drink about 600-1000 ml of light tea broth (equivalent to 3-5 cups) per day in order to obtain health benefits while avoiding side effects (e.g. heart palpitations, insomnia, stomach upset) brought about by excessive caffeine and ellagic acid.
- Choose the right time: drink less after 15 o’clock
First of all, avoid drinking strong tea on an empty stomach, especially green tea, which is easy to stimulate the gastric mucosa and cause discomfort. The best time to drink is half an hour to one hour after meal. Secondly, for those who are sensitive to caffeine, try to drink less or not drink after 15 o’clock in order to prevent affecting sleep.
- Suggest drinking light tea everyday: relatively healthier
The excessive caffeine and tannic acid in strong tea will cause a greater burden on the nervous, cardiovascular and digestive systems. Light tea is healthier, and you can better savor the fresh aroma of tea.
- Rotation of tea types: more health benefits
Different types of tea, such as green tea, black tea, oolong tea, white tea, black tea, yellow tea, etc., contain different health active ingredients. Diversification/rotation of tea consumption can obtain more comprehensive health benefits.
- Don’t drink tea that is too hot: cool it down a bit!
Hot beverages above 65°C are classified by the World Health Organization as Class 2A carcinogens (possibly carcinogenic). Long-term consumption of too hot tea can damage the esophageal mucosa and increase the risk of esophageal cancer. Cool the tea slightly (below 60℃) before drinking.
