China is a big tea drinking country, can drinking tea lower blood pressure? The answer is yes. A recent meta-analysis published by the American College of Cardiology showed that long-term tea drinking (on average over 12 weeks) can lower blood pressure to varying degrees. The study pooled 21 validated studies that included a total of 1,323 study subjects. The study found that tea drinkers had an average reduction in systolic blood pressure of 1.8 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure of 1.4 mmHg compared to non-tea drinkers. the blood pressure lowering effect was more pronounced in those who drank tea for more than 12 weeks. The effect of different teas on lowering blood pressure also varies, with green tea lowering systolic blood pressure by 2.1mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 1.7mmHg on average; while black tea is slightly less effective, lowering systolic blood pressure by 1.4mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 1.1mmHg. In addition, the benefits of drinking tea are not affected by race, the amount of tea catechins, individual health status, or coffee. Therefore, drinking tea is a healthy habit, and people with high blood pressure may want to try it!