Loose Women: Dr Hilary discusses how to live longer

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There is no shortcut to achieving longevity – it requires an unwavering commitment to healthy living. But simple tweaks can go a long way. According to GP and advisor to www.curranz.com Dr Nisa Aslam, you could do a lot worse than drinking two to three cups of tea a day.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Dr Aslam enumerated the benefits of tea drinking.

“Research shows that drinking tea is associated with heart health and longevity,” said Dr Aslam.

She cited a recent study published last year in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

Researchers in the study found habitual tea consumption was associated with lower risks of cardiovascular disease and all-cause death.

The finding is significant because cardiovascular disease – a general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels – is a leading cause of death worldwide.

The analysis included 100,902 participants with no history of heart attack, stroke, or cancer.

Participants were classified into two groups: habitual tea drinkers (three or more times a week) and never or non-habitual tea drinkers (less than three times a week) and followed-up for a median of 7.3 years.

“Habitual tea consumption was associated with more healthy years of life and longer life expectancy,” explained Dr Aslam.

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“For example, the analyses estimated that 50-year-old habitual tea drinkers would develop coronary heart disease and stroke 1.41 years later and live 1.26 years longer than those who never or seldom drank tea.”

The numerous benefits of drinking tea

It’s worth noting that different varieties of tea confer different benefits.

There are numerous types of herbal teas, all with their unique benefits.

“Green tea is exceptionally high in flavonoids that can help boost your heart health by lowering bad cholesterol and reducing blood clotting,” explains the health body Penn Medicine.

As Penn Medicine reports, studies show this type of tea can also help lower blood pressure, triglycerides and total cholesterol – precursors of heart disease.

“Other research has found that green tea has a possible impact on liver, breast, prostate and colorectal cancers,” it adds.

General dietary rules

To maximise the benefits of drinking tea, you must cover all dietary bases.

According to the NHS, fruit and vegetables are a good source of vitamins and minerals and fibre, and should make up just over a third of the food you eat each day.

“It’s recommended that you eat at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day,” says the health body.

Why five a day? There’s evidence that people who eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers.

As the NHS points out, eating five portions is not as hard as it sounds.

A portion is:

• 80g of fresh, canned or frozen fruit and vegetables
• 30g of dried fruit – which should be kept to mealtimes
• 150ml glass of fruit juice or smoothie – but do not have more than one portion a day as these drinks are sugary and can damage teeth.

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