Drinking at least three teas a week could add years to your life, according to science.
A research team in China have discovered that regular consumption of tea is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.
The study analysed data from over 100,000 participants with no history of heart attack, stroke or cancer. They were split into two groups—habitual tea drinkers and non-tea drinkers—and were observed for an average of 7.3 years.
See also: Drinking Coffee Before Bed Is Actually Fine, According To Research
The results showed that regular tea drinkers had a 20% lower risk of incident cardiovascular disease and stroke and an even lower risk (22%) of fatal heart disease and stroke.
In addition, they found that a fifty-year-old who drinks tea more than three times a week was likely to live an average of 1.26 years longer than someone who never, or rarely drank tea.
See also: 18 Of London’s Loveliest Afternoon Teas
Drinking regular cups of tea even protects you from all other causes of death, the study found — or at least puts you at a 15% lower risk of dying. So yeah, it turns out a cup of tea really does fix everything.
These results were mostly associated with green tea drinkers as opposed to English breakfast tea drinkers but, as so few participants were drinking black tea, it was hard to reach any solid conclusions about its effects. (This means there’s no proof that it doesn’t make you immortal, that’s all I’m saying.)