Drink green tea or coffee daily for polyphenol protection

Drink 2-4 cups of green tea or 2-3 cups of coffee daily without added sugar. Green tea provides the strongest cardiovascular benefit, but black tea and coffee also contain protective polyphenols.

Why It Works

Green tea catechins (especially EGCG) reduce LDL oxidation, which is the process that creates arterial plaque. A 2024 meta-analysis found the inverse association between tea consumption and CVD mortality is stronger in Asia (green tea) than Europe (black tea). Coffee's chlorogenic acids are also associated with lower CVD mortality. Japan's daily green tea consumption is likely an underappreciated contributor to its position as the lowest-CVD nation.

Tips

• Adding sugar to tea or coffee negates much of the cardiovascular benefit
• Green tea has 60-80% catechin content in its polyphenols vs. lower levels in black tea
• Both tea and coffee are associated with lower all-cause mortality in large cohort studies