A study of the link between drinking tea, coffee, and water, and mortality has revealed that a daily intake of seven to eight cups has the lowest mortality risk.
Another key finding of the major study was that drinking either tea or coffee on its own is not as significantly linked to mortality as drinking both combined.
Furthermore, a specific ratio of approximately 2:3 in coffee and tea combination was found to be linked to the lowest mortality risk from all causes along with a number of specific diseases.
- Moderate tea and coffee intake linked to slower cognitive decline in new research
- Fruit, coffee, chocolate and wine may reduce risk of metabolic syndrome by 23%
- High coffee intake can influence makeup of gut biome
The findings add to growing evidence that drinking moderate amounts of tea and coffee is linked to a lower risk of death from all causes along with cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
Understanding these links has proved challenging as most past studies which analyse varying coffee and tea consumption levels don’t take into account alternate fluid intake that it replaces.
More nuanced research is requited which looks, for example, at whether an extra cup of coffee is beneficial even if it replaces a cup of water.
UK Biobank data from just over 182,700 adults was analysed, with the study authors saying: “The lower mortality risk was observed with at least approximately 7 to 8 drinks per day of total consumption.
“When the total intake is greater than 4 drinks per day, substituting plain water with coffee or tea was linked to reduced mortality, nevertheless the benefit was not seen for less than/equal to 4 drinks per day.”
One key finding was that the 2:3 coffee and tea combination was associated with a 72% lower risk of respiratory disease in comparison to other ratios and drink patterns.
- Water more beneficial for managing type 2 diabetes than diet drinks
- Experts urge people to seek medical advice before water-only fasting
- Watermelon may help improve erectile dysfunction and boost libido
Researchers highlighted that drinking more than nine drinks a day, coffee or tea replacing water was linked to a possible increase in risk of death from cardiovascular events.
The team added: “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.”
Read more in British Journal of Nutrition
