Consuming large amounts of tea may result in improvements on the next cholesterol test among patients who are risk for developing heart disease, as a new study has found that drinking six or more cups per day can improve heart health. Dutch researchers used questionnaires to determine the amount of tea drank daily by 37,514 participants. They then examined the medical records of these individuals for 13 years and found that those who drank the most were 36 percent less likely to develop heart disease than those who drank the least.

The group also studied the effects of coffee and found that it similarly reduces the risk of heart disease, though to a lesser degree.

Lead investigator Yvonne van der Schouw said that many varieties of tea are packed with antioxidants, and that this might help explain the heart health benefits associated with high levels of tea consumption.

She suggested that coffee drinkers may be more likely to have certain lifestyle risk factors, like smoking, that may negate some of the benefits of antioxidants.

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