Could a cup of Earl Grey tea improve your health? It just might be able to. Scientists have found that the tea can lower cholesterol and cut the risk of heart disease. The findings could give tea-drinkers some extra incentive to pick up that cup of tea in the morning.
The key to Earl Grey's properties is bergamot, a Mediterranean citrus fruit which is made of enzymes known as Hydroxy Methyl Glutaryl Flavonones (HGMF), according to CBS News. In this case, the researchers used concentrations of HGMF on proteins which cause bad cholesterol and heart disease. The scientists then compared the effects with statins used to treat the same proteins.
So what did the researchers find? It turns out that the bergamot extract with HGMF was just as effective as the statins. This could be huge in terms of cholesterol drugs and studies.
"Extract from bergamot-most commonly used in Earl Grey tea-reduced total cholesterol and LDL levels but there was an increase in HDL levels," wrote the authors, according to 3News. "Therefore a daily supplement of bergamot fruit extract could be very effective for the treatment of high cholesterol."
HDL is known as "good cholesterol." This means that increasing HDL levels could improve heart health and allow people to live longer lives.
About 600,000 people die from heart disease each year in the United States, according to the CDC. This means that learning of new treatments for cholesterol is crucial for helping curb the tide of heart disease, and improving public health. These latest findings could help accomplish just that. That said, more research needs to be conducted before any firm conclusions are drawn. Yet drinking a cup of Earl Grey tea each day could potentially help with your health.
The findings were published in the Journal of Functional Foods.
