People consuming four cups of tea or coffee a day have lower blood pressure as compared to those who don’t, a new study has revealed.

However, this recent study contradicts previous findings that has linked caffeine intake to high BP or hypertension, the Daily Express reported.

The French research, conducted over a decade, discovered that heavy tea drinkers had lower BP, pulse pressure and heart rate than lighter drinkers.

Scientists also proved in the study that heavy coffee drinkers had slightly higher BP than normal but non-drinkers had the highest readings.

Bruno Pannier, the report author from the Preventive and Clinical Investigations Centre in Paris, said that it was possible that the flavonoids in tea had a relaxing effect on blood vessels.

He asserted that the vasorelaxing compounds included in these beverages might be involved in these results, something that has been suggested by the experimental data.

The study was presented to the European Society of Hypertension in Milan.

BDST: 1549 HRS, Nov-14, 2013
SIS/RIS