The intake of tea within population may be one of many factors that can modify the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Flavonoids are a family of polyphenolic compounds. They are natural vitaminlike compounds. In vitro studies have shown that isolated flavonoids at high physiological concentrations can reduce platelet aggregation and markers of platelet activation (J. Nutr. 130, 2120S–2126S).
They make blood cells called platelets less prone to clotting, and act as antioxidants, countering the artery-damaging potential of highly reactive free radical chemicals.
In the study, men with a high flavonoid intake had a 73 percent lower risk of stroke during 15 years of follow-up, compared with men with a low intake of flavonoids. The men in the study got about 70 percent of their flavonoids from drinking black tea.
A meta-analysis of seven prospective studies of flavonoids in relation to coronary heart disease found that the highest tertile of flavonoid intake was associated with a 20% reduction in the risk of fatal coronary heart disease in comparison with the lowest tertile of flavonoid intake (Eur J Clin Nutr. 2003;57:904-8).
Flavonoid can reduce platelet aggregation and reduce the risk of fatal coronary heart disease
