Could Drinking Tea Help You Live Longer? What New Research Says

Regular tea drinkers may have a lower risk of dying from all causes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, according to recent research. But scientists caution that the evidence does not prove that tea itself makes people live longer.

A large 2025 study using data from the UK Biobank found that people who regularly drank unsweetened tea had lower mortality risks than those who did not drink tea. The study included 195,361 participants and followed them for a median of 13.6 years. During the follow-up period, researchers recorded 11,718 deaths, including 2,202 from cardiovascular disease and 6,415 from cancer.

Around 3–4 cups a day showed the strongest association

The researchers found a U-shaped relationship between tea consumption and mortality. Compared with non-tea drinkers, participants consuming approximately 3.5 to 4.5 drinks of unsweetened tea per day had the lowest observed risks.

At this level, the study found:

•    20% lower risk of death from any cause
•    27% lower risk of cardiovascular disease death
•    14% lower risk of cancer death

These figures represent statistical associations rather than proof of cause and effect.

Interestingly, the apparent benefit was not consistent for sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened tea, while unsweetened tea showed the clearest association with lower mortality.

The broader evidence points in the same direction

The 2025 findings are consistent with an earlier meta-analysis covering 38 prospective cohort datasets and nearly 2 million participants.

That analysis found that people in the highest tea-consumption categories had approximately a 10% lower risk of death from all causes and a 14% lower risk of cardiovascular death compared with those in the lowest-consumption categories.

The researchers also found that the relationship was not simply “the more tea, the better.” The strongest association with lower all-cause mortality appeared around two cups per day, while cardiovascular benefits appeared to level off at moderate consumption.

Why might tea be linked to better health?

Tea contains naturally occurring compounds such as polyphenols, catechins and theaflavins. These compounds have been studied for their potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and their possible influence on cardiovascular and metabolic health.

However, researchers have not established that these compounds are directly responsible for the lower mortality observed among tea drinkers.

Does this mean tea makes you live longer?

Not necessarily.

Most of the evidence linking tea with longevity comes from observational studies. Researchers can identify patterns between tea consumption and health outcomes, but they cannot completely rule out other explanations.

For example, regular tea drinkers may differ from non-drinkers in their diet, physical activity, socioeconomic circumstances or other health behaviours. Even when researchers statistically adjust for many of these factors, some residual confounding can remain.

The 2025 UK Biobank study therefore supports an association between unsweetened tea consumption and lower mortality risk—it does not establish that drinking tea directly extends lifespan.

What about adding sugar?

The latest research provides another reason to be cautious about turning tea into a sugary drink.

In the 2025 UK Biobank analysis, unsweetened tea was associated with lower risks of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality, while sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened tea did not show consistent statistically significant associations.

For people who already enjoy tea, drinking it without large amounts of added sugar is a sensible way to enjoy the beverage without unnecessarily increasing sugar intake.

The bottom line

The latest evidence suggests that regular, particularly unsweetened, tea consumption is associated with a lower risk of premature death, especially from cardiovascular disease.

But the popular claim that “tea drinkers live longer” is too definitive. A more accurate statement is:

“Tea drinking is associated with a lower risk of death, but research has not proved that tea itself makes people live longer.”

For most healthy adults, tea can be part of a balanced diet. Its potential benefits should be viewed as one small piece of a much bigger picture that includes a nutritious diet, regular physical activity, healthy weight, adequate sleep and avoiding tobacco.