Black Tea Compounds Beneficial for Blood Pressure

Black tea is green tea that has been fermented.   While previous studies suggest that regular consumption of black tea may help to lower blood pressure level, Jonathan M Hodgson, from the  University of Western Australia (Australia), and colleagues investigated its effects on blood pressure variation.   The team enrolled 111 men and women with systolic blood pressure between 110 and 150 mmHg, assigning each subject to one of two groups:  the first group consumed three cups per day of black tea; and the second group received a flavonoid-free caffeine-matched (control) beverage.  After six months of consuming the respective beverages, the tea group displayed 10% lower rates of systolic and diastolic blood pressure variation during the nighttime. Writing that: “These findings indicate that a component of black tea solids, other than caffeine, can influence the rate of blood pressure variation during nighttime,” the study authors submit that: “small dietary changes have the potential to significantly influence the rate of blood pressure variation.”