Trouble may be brewing for heavy tea drinkers, a dementia study found.
Cuppa fans supping more than 13 a day may raise their risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
The Chinese University of Hong Kong team said each extra cup “significantly decreased grey matter” in the brain, which “indicates over-drinking tea might lead to a decline in language and memory functions.”
They added: “Our results shed light on a novel possible mechanism of tea intake to increase the risk [of Alzheimer’s] by reducing brain volume.”
However, they also found one to six cups of tea a day may actually cut the risk of dementia.
Brits drink 100 million brews a day and another study, by furniture firm SCS, found one in 20 have 12 with men averaging 5.2 and women 4.4. Men are also twice as likely as women to have more than 12 cups a day, at 6%.
Meanwhile, the Chinese study warned of an Alzheimer’s crisis due to aging populations. It said: “Approximately 55 million people live with AD or related forms of dementia worldwide.
“By 2050, one in 85 will be living with Alzheimer’s worldwide, escalating the risk of disability, the burden of illness, and healthcare costs.”
