Heart Health
Drinking coffee and tea linked to lower stroke risk
Research we’re watching
Coffee, tea — or both? People who sip several daily cups of either or both beverages may be less likely to have a stroke than people who don’t drink either, new research reports.
The study relied on data from 365,000 people who described their typical coffee and tea consumption. The participants were ages 50 to 74 when they joined the study, from 2006 to 2010.
During a median follow-up period of 11.4 years, researchers found a 32% lower risk of stroke among people who said they drank two to three cups of coffee and two to three cups of tea daily compared with people who drank neither beverage. The findings were published Nov. 16, 2021, in PLOS Medicine.
While the findings can’t prove that consuming these popular drinks was responsible for the reduced stroke rates, earlier studies have seen similar trends. Both coffee and tea contain a range of plant-based compounds, called polyphenols, thought to promote healthy blood vessels and dampen inflammation. 
Image: © Nikolay Ponomarenko/Getty ImagesAbout the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
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