Black Tea May Lower Bad Cholesterol Levels

Drinking black tea could help to lower LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels, say researchers from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Joseph T Judd and colleagues asked study participants to drink five servings of black tea each day for three weeks. Results showed that the LDL cholesterol levels of those who drank the tea fell by between 7% and 11%. The average drop in LDL levels was 7.5%. Exactly how drinking tea causes LDL levels to drop remains uncertain, however the scientists suspect that the drink may slow-down the body’s ability to absorb LDL cholesterol.

SOURCE/REFERENCE: J. Nutr. 2003;133:3298S-3302S.