--- title: Green Tea Health Benefits: How To Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally description: A new study finds that sipping green tea might lead to health benefits, likely lowering your blood pressure naturally. canonical: https://time.com/3517842/this-kind-of-tea-lowers-blood-pressure-naturally/ author: Mandy Oaklander article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-10-21T15:01:43.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:07:21.669Z article:section: Health og:title: This Kind of Tea Lowers Blood Pressure og:description: The best brew for your heart og:url: https://time.com/3517842/this-kind-of-tea-lowers-blood-pressure-naturally/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte8a3257de3d397de/6987617bf887dc3a33e87969/green-tea.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: green tea og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: This Kind of Tea Lowers Blood Pressure twitter:description: The best brew for your heart twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte8a3257de3d397de/6987617bf887dc3a33e87969/green-tea.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # This Kind of Tea Lowers Blood Pressure Naturally  by [Mandy Oaklander](/author/mandy-oaklander/)  ## Mandy Oaklander Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME. Oct 21, 2014 3:01 PM CUT  Close up of Japanese green tea being poured from teapot into cup Close up of Japanese green tea being poured from teapot into cupGetty Images  by [Mandy Oaklander](/author/mandy-oaklander/)  ## Mandy Oaklander Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME. Oct 21, 2014 3:01 PM CUT Recent research has come down squarely on the side of caffeinated morning beverages, suggesting that [coffee can protect against cancer ](http://time.com/3145435/is-coffee-bad-for-you/ "undefined")and type 2 diabetes. Tea has enjoyed a healthy reputation for years as a heart-protector, and a [study](http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=9371125&fileId=S0007114514001731 "undefined") published in the October issue of _British Journal of Nutrition_ suggests it might even help lower blood pressure. Researchers were intrigued by the inconclusive link in studies so far regarding blood pressure and tea intake, so they analyzed 25 randomized controlled trials—the gold standard of scientific research—to further explore on the association. They found that in the short term, tea didn’t seem to make a difference for blood pressure. But long-term tea intake did have a significant impact. After 12 weeks of drinking tea, blood pressure was lower by 2.6 mmHg systolic and 2.2 mmHg diastolic. Green tea had the most significant results, while black tea performed the next best. Those might not seem like big numbers, but small changes in blood pressure can have a significant impact on health, the study authors write. Reducing systolic blood pressure by 2.6 mmHg “would be expected to reduce stroke risk by 8%, coronary artery disease mortality by 5% and all-cause mortality by 4% at a population level,” they write. Tea is thought to offer endothelial protection by helping blood vessels relax, allowing blood to flow more freely. It’s a high source of antioxidants that have been [linked to better cardiovascular health](http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/15/sweet-a-little-chocolate-a-day-may-help-lower-blood-pressure/ "undefined"). The researchers weren’t able to pinpoint the optimal number of cups to drink to get the benefit, but other studies have shown [protective effects at 3-4 daily cups](http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1820250,00.html "undefined"). The researchers said they didn’t see a difference in caffeinated tea vs. decaf. “These are profound effects and must be considered seriously in terms of the potential for dietary modification to modulate the risk of CVD \[cardiovascular disease\],” the authors write. ### See the 10 Healthiest Cities to Live in America  Honolulu, Hawaii Best Place for Lifelong Health The heavenly climate helps, but the key to well-being here also includes enviable health care and a rich cultural tradition of looking out for one another. Colin Anderson—Blend Images/Corbis  San Francisco Bay Area, Calif. Best Place for Eating Right. The "farm to table" movement began here. The region's bounty of produce and year-round growing season make eating healthy—and local—a natural. Getty Images  Burlington, Vt. Best Place for Raising Healthy Kids This New England city offers great schools, excellent pediatric care, loads of culture and limitless options for healthy outdoor fun all year long. Matt Hogan/www.mphoganphoto.com  Silicon Valley, Calif. Best Place for Workplace Wellness With treadmill desks, meetings on bikes, time off for creativity, and gobs of organic food, tech titans are reinventing how to stay healthy on the job. Jim Wilson—The New York Times/Redux  Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. Best Place for Aging Well Yes, it can be cold. But with a plethora of stimulating activities and a robust web of support, the Twin Cities prove that growing old doesn't mean slowing down. Getty Images  Denver and Boulder, Colo. Best Place for Keeping Fit The urge to get outside and get moving is contagious in these Rocky Mountain cities, where physical challenge is built into the landscape. Celin Serbo—Aurora Photos/Corbis  Plano, Texas Best Place for Staying Safe Once a rural outpost, this booming, diverse city has kept its small-town vibe, thanks in part to a police force and community that knows how to work together. Misty Keasler—Redux for TIME  Portland, Ore. Best Place for a Healthy Environment Small, walkable neighborhoods, 300 miles of bike paths, and urban policies that foster active living and sustainability make for one clean, green city. Getty Images  Boston, Mass. Best Place for Health Care This history-rich city is home to some of the nation's most advanced medical institutions and policies that help ensure that quality care is available to all. K.C. Cohen—Courtesy of Boston Children's Hospital  Provo and Orem, Utah Best Place for Spiritual Well-Being A stunning Rocky Mountain backdrop and a tight-knit population that lives its faith contribute not only to this region's serenity but also to lower rates of disease. Getty Images _Read next:_ [_6 Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally_](http://time.com/2901053/lower-blood-pressure-naturally/?xid=time%5Freadnext "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3517842/this-kind-of-tea-lowers-blood-pressure-naturally/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3517842/this-kind-of-tea-lowers-blood-pressure-naturally/"},"headline":"This Kind of Tea Lowers Blood Pressure Naturally","datePublished":"2014-10-21T15:01:43.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:07:21.669Z","description":"The best brew for your heart","url":"https://time.com/3517842/this-kind-of-tea-lowers-blood-pressure-naturally/","keywords":["Diet & Nutrition","Heart Disease","Supplements","Blood Pressure","Caffeine","high blood pressure","tea"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte8a3257de3d397de/6987617bf887dc3a33e87969/green-tea.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Mandy Oaklander","jobTitle":"Oaklander is a senior editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/mandy-oaklander/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte8a3257de3d397de/6987617bf887dc3a33e87969/green-tea.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"green tea","caption":"green tea","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/dietnutrition/","name":"Diet & Nutrition"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3517842/this-kind-of-tea-lowers-blood-pressure-naturally/","name":"This Kind of Tea Lowers Blood Pressure Naturally"}}]}] ```