Three cups of tea a day could be the anti-ageing secret we all need, scientists discover

DRINKING three cups of tea a day could keep the doctor away by slowing biological ageing, a study shows.

Healthy chemicals in black and green tea could help “positively influence ageing” by reducing cell damage to keep organs working for longer, Chinese researchers said.

The biggest benefits were seen in consistent brew lovers but people could boost their health by taking it up.

Dr Yi Xiang, of Sichuan University, said: “We found that consuming roughly three cups of tea per day may provide anti-ageing benefits.

“This could be due to the fact that tea contains numerous bioactive compounds.”

Previous research has shown drinking tea can reduce your chances of diabetes and heart disease.

Tea contains polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants that can also help protect against cancers and neurodegenerative diseases like dementia.

The latest study, published in Elsevier journal , looked at how the drink impacts biological ageing — a measure of how quickly cells deteriorate.

Researchers looked at data from 5,998 adults in Britain aged 37 to 73 and 7,931 aged 30 to 79 in China.

They were asked about how much tea they drink, including green and oolong tea, as well as black tea, which is usually mixed with milk for a traditional builder’s brew in Britain.

Their biological ageing was measured using special blood tests that look at changes to people’s DNA.

Drinking any amount of tea reduced how quickly people aged over the average two-year follow-up, with improvements peaking at three cups a day.

Dr Xiang said: “Tea contains various bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, theanine, and caffeine, which may be related to its potential anti-ageing effects. 

“Polyphenols have been reported to modulate gut microbiota, which might have an important effect on regulating age-related changes in immunity, metabolism, and cognitive function.”