QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hodgson, J. M Articles by Prince, R. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hodgson, J. M Articles by Prince, R. L.

---

Nutritional Epidemiology
Research Communication

Tea Intake Is Inversely Related to Blood Pressure in Older Women

Jonathan M Hodgson^*, Amanda Devine^,*, Ian B. Puddey^*, Shin Yee Chan^*, Lawrence J. Beilin^* and Richard L. Prince^,*

University of Western Australia School of Medicine and Pharmacology, and the Western Australian Institute for Medical Research (WAIMR) ^* Royal Perth Hospital Unit, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Unit and ^** Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

²To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jonathan{at}cyllene.uwa.edu.au.

Tea is rich in polyphenols, which have activities consistent with blood pressure–lowering potential. The effects of long-term regular ingestion of tea on blood pressure remain uncertain. We investigated the relationships of tea intake and a biomarker of exposure to tea-derived polyphenols (4-O-methylgallic acid) with blood pressure in a cross-sectional study of 218 women > 70 y old. Clinic blood pressures were measured and tea intake was assessed using a 24-h dietary recall; 4-O-methylgallic acid was measured for the same period in a 24-h urine sample. Mean (95% CI) daily tea intake was 525 (475, 600) mL. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 138.1 (135.6, 140.6) and 73.5 (72.1, 74.9) mm Hg. Higher tea intake and higher 4-O-methylgallic acid excretion were associated with significantly lower systolic (P = 0.002 and P = 0.040, respectively) and diastolic (P = 0.027 and P < 0.001, respectively) blood pressures. A 250 mL/d (1 cup) increase in tea intake was associated with a 2.2 (0.8, 3.6) mm Hg lower systolic blood pressure and a 0.9 (0.1, 1.7) mm Hg lower diastolic blood pressure. The observed associations for both tea intake and 4-O-methylgallic acid are consistent with the hypothesis that long-term regular ingestion of tea may have a favorable effect on blood pressure in older women.

KEY WORDS: • tea • blood pressure • polyphenols • women

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. O. Clarke and G. E. Mullin A Review of Complementary and Alternative Approaches to Immunomodulation Nutr Clin Pract, February 1, 2008; 23(1): 49 - 62. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. O. Clarke and G. E. Mullin A Review of Complementary and Alternative Approaches to Immunomodulation Nutr Clin Pract, February 1, 2008; 23(1): 49 - 62. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. Taubert, R. Roesen, and E. Schomig Effect of Cocoa and Tea Intake on Blood Pressure: A Meta-analysis Arch Intern Med, April 9, 2007; 167(7): 626 - 634. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Cabrera, R. Artacho, and R. Gimenez Beneficial effects of green tea--a review. J. Am. Coll. Nutr., April 1, 2006; 25(2): 79 - 99. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Peng, J. T. Clark, J. Prasain, H. Kim, C. R. White, and J. M. Wyss Antihypertensive and cognitive effects of grape polyphenols in estrogen-depleted, female, spontaneously hypertensive rats Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, September 1, 2005; 289(3): R771 - R775. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]