So, if I have this right, it's only hot caffeinated tea that makes a difference. I hope more research is conducted, because this makes little sense. It matters to me because my father had glaucoma and my brother and I have both been watched for it, though our sister apparently has not.
I drink tea daily. But my dad and older siblings have glaucoma. I've been on preventive eye drops for the past year because my pressure reading was borderline. I love tea, but credit my ophthalmologist for safeguarding my sight.
1
I believe there is a bigger question in this, this study clearly shows a small control group and this is only the beginning of actually scientific study. But lets ask ourselves, "How do these products influence our health, for better or for worse over a life span." I would personally love to have a discussion about the right questions to ask and how to approach it with science. The chemistry of what we consume is so vast and covers many branches of chemistry. Putting that into context is quit the idea. :)
2
some of the comments are pretty cynical. However, 1678 participants is a pretty good sized sample (and it has been adjusted). A result of 74% decreased odds of having glaucoma compared with those who did not consume hot tea is a lot. Surely it's worthy of further study.
The study contained 5.1% with glaucoma. Don't know the incidence in the population as a whole but obviously many will not drink tea and will not get glaucoma. But that is besides the point.
8
The type of tea is not mentioned. There are so many types of tea that people drink these days ~ green, black... and so very many types herbal teas.
This information is unfortunately missing. Does this article apply to any hot tea?
5
To Reetie: Herbal "tea" is not actually tea. Tea is brewed from leaves of the tea plant: herbal "teas" are infusions of various herbs. I would think the article applies to black tea mostly.
9
Good to hear. Time for tea, I see.
1
Let me think a bit. Ah, this study was conducted in the U.K Tea drinkers in the U.K. generally prefer black tea with whole milk added. Iced tea as a rule has no milk. So it could be that milk is involved....at any rate, interesting.
2
The study did find that there was no association with coffee. Coffee is more often drunk with milk, so if milk was involved then an association might have been seen with coffee.
1
Two comments:
1. People complaining that this is only a preliminary study so the Times shouldn't have wasted time on it forget what the Times is -- a newspaper. The fact that tea might help glaucoma is clearly newsworthy information, so it's appropriate for newspapers to report it even if it isn't definitive enough to base lifestyle changes on. Take it for what it is.
2. People wondering what kind of tea, etc., may not realize that ALL the varieties of tea come from the same plant. Whether they wind up as green tea, black tea, oolong tea, etc. depends solely on how the tea is fermented and processed.
16
But that processing and fermentation may make a difference, hence the desire for more information, even with a preliminary study.
I've been brewing my own with Earl Grey loose tea leaves for years and drinking it every day cold from the fridge. So this is saying all that tea is for naught? Please explain, please!
2
Too bad this study says that decaffeinated hot tea does not work. I will stick to what I drink, several cups of decaf tea a day and not worry about it.
For those who are wondering, the study didn't differentiate between different kinds of hot tea. Drink whatever kind you like. (I prefer white.)
5
Okay....what kind of tea? It isn't like there is only one type of tea in existence.
7
Well, if we go by my grandmother, I'd drink something called tsai ap tou vounou, that is, Greek mountain tea. For a sore throat, add Metaxa (7-Star), honey, and lemon, get into bed, and sweat. For everything else from glaucoma to gout, take it straight.
2
Quote from article: "After adjusting for age, body mass index, sex, ethnicity, smoking and diabetes, they found that people who drank at least a cup of hot tea a day were 74 percent less likely to have glaucoma. They found no association with soft drinks, iced tea, decaffeinated tea or with coffee, decaffeinated or not." So...it appears that hot caffeinated tea, which would include black,green, white, oolong etd, are associated with the benefit.
4
OK. Here's the deal.
This article outlines an observation based on a preliminary study (link included) which will lead to more study.
It SAYS that correlation is not causation.
It's not misleading. It says what it says. Not what you want it to say.
It's not a "how to" on how to live your life.
If this is not the article you wanted to read, the onus is on YOU.
Get a grip.
17
My husband has started his day with a cup of hot tea for seventy-five years. Oddly he has glaucoma. His overall health is very good, and the glaucoma is under control with care and eye drops. But tea?
5
It lowers a person's chances 74%, not 100%.
15
Very misleading headlining. Correlation doesn't prove anything that would suggest behavior change
2
The study is worth reading:
http://bjo.bmj.com/content/early/2017/11/25/bjophthalmol-2017-310924
After all, I like hot tea.
10
This article was not worth the time it took to open it.
4
Then why waste even more time commenting about it?
12
Vague as can be, this article.
So if I drink three cups of green tea (to be specific: a personal mix of gunpowder and sencha), I'll have very little chance of getting glaucoma?
Or must it be black tea?
What kind of tea?
Oh, never mind...
17
I'll add that to the evidence of the circulatory, neurological, immunity building and cancer fighting properties that tea seems to provide, as I enjoy my morning cupa.
10
Green, Black, Oolong, Rooibos, etc. I am sure study participants drank a specific tea and even if the types varied shouldn't that be mentioned in the article? Weird article if you ask me.
25
Rooibos is not a tea but a tisane, a hot drink made by brewing herbs other than leaves of the tea plant.
Yes, I would also have preferred far more specificity, especially as some results seem to be specific to green teas and not black or oolong teas.
Also what about white tea?
5
I want to throw cold water all over this study.
14
A cup of tea? Can you be just a little more specific please?
23
So, lemme get this right. One cup of hot tea, but not iced tea, can reduce the risk of glaucoma? Since both beverages contain tea, then the difference between the two is hot vs. iced. So, maybe it's hot water that might reduce glaucoma and not the tea per se? Sounds like a buncha hot water to me.
29
Maybe iced tea is more likely to be that powdered stuff, while hot tea is from the leaves? I dunno.
Correlations are a starting point for science, not a proof of anything. So I agree with you, pretty much interesting bunk.
Still, I like hot tea, so I'll drink what I would have drunk anyway.
5
Possibly the effect is from inhaling the vapors of hot tea rather than from the ingested tea? Just a guess.
3
They apparently found no correlation with other hot beverages, like hot coffee. I would guess that the "iced tea" most people drink is prepackaged products like Arizona or Lipton Brisk (as opposed to brewing tea and pouring it over ice.) Those products don't contain much actual tea.
2