Tea

Studies in people

• Benefit

  Type 2 diabetes risk²

  People who drank more tea were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, though scientists say more research is needed.

• Benefit

  Dementia risk and memory³

  In adults, drinking tea was linked to lower dementia risk and slightly better cognitive function.

• Concern

  Liver injury from supplements⁴

  Some people who took green tea supplements got liver injury, often with jaundice, and many carried a certain immune gene.

Animal and lab studies only

• Benefit

  Weight and blood sugar⁷

  In animal studies, matcha tea with a high-fat diet led to less weight gain and better blood sugar and lipids.

Study type not stated

• Concern

  Medicine absorption⁵

  Drinking green tea may lower how much of some medicines your body takes in.

• Benefit

  Antioxidants in yoghurt⁶

  Adding Pu-erh tea to yoghurt boosted its antioxidants, though taste and texture changed.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least two findings in people. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.