Is Tea Good for High Blood Pressure? Benefits, Risks, and Consumption Limits
So is there a connection between tea and blood pressure? That’s right, research suggests that drinking tea is good for high blood pressure. Wondering how that’s possible?
Let’s find out!
Nutritional Profile of Tea
Generally, drinks like black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are made by steeping the processed leaves of the bush Camellia sinensis. Other drinks like hibiscus tea, ginger tea, peppermint tea, etc., can be made by boiling hibiscus petals, ginger rhizome and peppermint leaves in water, respectively. Although the latter category is also called “teas”, they are actually herbal teas/herbal infusions/tisanes and do not have any tea (Camellia sinensis) leaves present.
Most unsweetened teas with no dairy have a negligible amount of calories and carbohydrates, and zero fats, sugars, proteins, and fibers. Most forms of tea have trace amounts of essential nutrients like salts and minerals. Teas made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis have low amounts of caffeine and theobromine.
The following is the nutritional profile for 100 ml of brewed black tea, green tea, oolong tea, and hibiscus tea, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
| Nutrient | Black tea, brewed | Green tea, brewed | Oolong tea, brewed | Hibiscus tea, brewed |
| Energy | 1 kcal | 1 kcal | 1 kcal | 0 |
| Water | 99.7 g | 99.9 g | 99.84 g | 99.6 g |
| Protein | 0 | 0.22 g | 0 | 0 |
| Fat | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carbohydrate | 0.3 g | 0 | 0.15 g | 0 |
| Sugars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fiber | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calcium | 0 | 0 | 1 mg | 8 mg |
| Iron | 0.02 mg | 0.02 mg | 0 | 0.08 mg |
| Magnesium | 3 mg | 1 mg | 1 mg | 3 mg |
| Phosphorus | 1 mg | 0 | 1 mg | 1 mg |
| Sodium | 3 mg | 1 mg | 3 mg | 4 mg |
| Potassium | 37 mg | 8 mg | 12 mg | 20 mg |
| Zinc | 0.02 mg | 0.01 mg | 0.01 mg | 0.04 mg |
| Copper | 0.01 mg | 0.004 mg | 0 | 0 |
| Manganese | 0.219 mg | 0.184 mg | 0.210 mg | 0.477 mg |
| Caffeine | 20 mg | 12 mg | 16 mg | 0 |
| Theobromine | 2 mg | 0 | 2 mg | 0 |
What are the Benefits of Tea for High Blood Pressure?
Tea is rich in substances that have antioxidant properties, like polyphenols and flavonoids. These substances relax the smooth muscles present in the walls of your blood vessels, which widens your arteries and eases the pressure exerted on them by your blood. This helps lower your blood pressure levels. The antioxidants in tea also protect the endothelial cells in the lining of your blood vessels from damage. This lowers the chronic inflammation that is often seen in hypertension. Combining tea with a low-sodium balanced diet and regular exercise can help lower your blood pressure levels.
What Kind of Tea is Good for High Blood Pressure?
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Black Tea
Black tea is made from the dried, wilted, crushed, and fully oxidized leaves of Camellia sinensis. The antioxidants like catechins and polyphenols in black tea widen your arteries, which lowers your blood pressure levels.
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Green Tea
Green tea is made from the same Camellia sinensis leaves as black tea, but the leaves undergo less oxidation and processing than those of black tea. Thus, they retain their vibrant green color and higher amount of catechins, which exhibit antioxidant and ACE inhibitor activity. This is the reason for the hypotensive activity of green tea.
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Oolong Tea
Oolong tea is also made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis, but the leaves are bruised instead of being crushed before drying so they do not undergo full oxidation. Oolong teahas higher levels of antioxidants and catechins than black tea, and thus may be more effective in relaxing the smooth muscles lining your arteries.
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Hibiscus Tea
Hibiscus tea is made by steeping the petals of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis or Hibiscus sabdariffa in boiling water. Hibiscus flowers are rich in antioxidants called anthocyanins, which prevent endothelial cell damage, lower blood pressure and LDL (low-density lipoprotein or bad) cholesterol levels, and reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
If you are taking any anti-hypertensive medications, make sure to consult your doctor before drinking hibiscus tea as the combined action of BP medication and tea can lower your blood pressure too much.
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How Much Tea Should You Drink in a Day for High BP?
Limit your daily consumption of tea to a maximum of 3 cups of 245 ml each.
What is the Best Time to Drink Tea for Hypertension?
There is no set time to consume tea for hypertension. Ideally, consume a cup of tea with your breakfast, between meals and after a workout to keep your blood pressure levels stable. Avoid consuming caffeinated tea before going to bed as it can affect your quality of sleep.
What is the Best Way to Drink Tea for Lowering BP?
The best way to consume tea would be without any sweeteners and with low-fat milk or no dairy. Most types of tea inherently have no fats or sugars, which is important to lower blood pressure levels. Sweeteners like sugar, honey, jaggery, etc., can increase chronic inflammation levels in your body, which raises your blood pressure levels. Adding whole milk or high-fat dairy to your tea can increase your intake of cholesterol and saturated fats, which can make your arteries narrower, contributing to raised blood pressure levels.
Are There Any Risks of Overconsuming Tea?
- The caffeine present in black, green, and oolong tea can cause headaches,a irritability, anxiety, dizziness, frequent urination, dehydration, irregular heartbeat, and poor sleep if taken in excess.
- Overconsuming strongly brewed tea made from Camellia sinensis leaves can lead to irritation in the lining of your stomach and acidity.
- The catechins in black, green, and oolong tea can hinder iron and calcium absorption in your gut.
- Hibiscus tea is not recommended for consumption in women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Hibiscus tea may interact with any medications you are taking like oral hypoglycemics, anti-hypertensive medications, antibiotics, supplements, etc. Hence, it is best to consult your healthcare provider before drinking hibiscus tea.
- Drinking too much green tea or hibiscus tea may possibly cause liver damage in some people.
What are the Other Health Benefits of Drinking Tea?
- Drinking tea on a daily basis can help lower your ‘bad’ (low-density lipoprotein or LDL) cholesterol levels, thus reducing your risk for heart disease.
- Regular tea consumption can also help stabilize your blood sugar levels, which makes it a great beverage choice for diabetics.
- Teas with high antioxidant and catechin levels, such as green tea, can help you burn more fat, thus contributing to weight loss.
- The antioxidants in tea can also reduce chronic inflammation and free radicals in your body.
- Drinking tea, especially green tea on a daily basis can prevent the bacteria in your mouth from causing cavities, tooth loss, halitosis (bad breath), and other oral health issues.
- Tea can also improve alertness, brain function, digestion, and immunity.
Don’t Have Time To Read?
- Tea is generally brewed from the leaves and buds of the plant Camellia sinensis, but can also be brewed from the leaves, buds, rhizomes, flowers, etc., of other plants.
- Most teas brewed without dairy or sweeteners have a negligible amount of calories and proteins. They also have no carbohydrates, fats, or sugars, but are rich in antioxidants called polyphenols (catechins, flavonoids, anthocyanins, etc.).
- The antioxidants present in tea can prevent damage and inflammation in the endothelial cells in the inner lining of arteries, as well as relax the smooth muscles in the arteries. This leads to a reduction in your blood pressure.
- Black tea, green tea, oolong tea, and hibiscus tea are some of the best teas to lower high blood pressure.
- Limit your daily consumption of tea to 3 cups of 245 ml each for the best results.
- You can consume a cup of tea with your breakfast, one cup between meals, and another post-exercise.
- Avoid adding sugar, sweeteners, or dairy to your tea as they can increase your blood pressure levels.
- Overconsuming black, green, or oolong tea can cause acidity, stomach irritation, lowered absorption of iron and calcium, caffeine overload and related side effects like headaches, irritation, anxiety, loss of sleep, etc. Too much hibiscus tea may interfere with your medication or cause liver damage in some people.
- Regular consumption of tea can help with lowering your blood sugar and cholesterol levels, reducing your risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, reducing inflammation, weight loss, and improving your brain function, oral health, digestion, and immunity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does tea increase blood pressure?
Drinking caffeinated tea can increase blood pressure immediately after consumption. But in the long run, drinking decaffeinated, unsweetened tea with low-fat milk or no milk can help lower your blood pressure levels.
Does hot tea lower BP?
Hot tea can help your blood vessels relax and encourage better blood circulation, both of which are important factors in lowering blood pressure. However, it is advisable to drink hot, decaffeinated, unsweetened tea with low-fat milk or no milk for lowering your blood pressure levels.
Is tea better than coffee for blood pressure?
Both tea and coffee have caffeine, which can raise your blood pressure levels. However, coffee has a higher caffeine content than tea, which has other substances like catechins and flavonoids contributing to lowering your blood pressure. Hence, tea is slightly better than coffee for high blood pressure.
Is peppermint tea good for high blood pressure?
Peppermint tea contains menthol, which can relax your blood vessels. Hence, long term consumption of peppermint tea can lower your blood pressure levels.
Does milk tea increase blood pressure?
Milk tea may increase blood pressure due to caffeine and added sugar. For those managing high blood pressure, it’s best to consume in moderation or choose low-fat, unsweetened options to reduce potential risks.
