TEA TIME: Study finds drink may help your heart later in life

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Researchers in Australia have recently found that drinking a daily cup of tea may help your heart later in life.

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But if you are not a tea drinker, other foods that contain flavonoids can also reap health benefits as you age.

According to researchers at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia, a study of 881 elderly women (median age of 80) found those who consumed high amounts of flavonoids were less likely to have a buildup of calcium deposits in their heart valve, or abdominal aortic calcification (AAC).

The condition can lead to heart attacks and strokes later in life, while also being a strong predictor of late-life dementia.

A change in diet, which includes fluids and foods rich in flavonoids, can help ward off those health risks well into your 60s and 70s.

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“In most populations, a small group of foods and beverages — uniquely high in flavonoids — contribute the bulk of total dietary flavonoid intake,” said Ben Parmenter, ECU Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute researcher.

“The main contributors are usually black or green tea, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, red wine, apples, raisins/grapes and dark chocolate.”

Parmenter, who led the study, found participants who had a higher intake of flavonoids — in this case black tea — were nearly 40% less likely to have extensive AAC.

He added non-tea drinkers could also see health benefits from adding more flavonoids to their diets.

“Out of the women who don’t drink black tea, higher total non-tea flavonoid intake also appears to protect against extensive calcification of the arteries,” he said.

“This implies flavonoids from sources other than black tea may be protective against AAC when tea is not consumed.”