Cup of tea gets a bit more relaxing

People who drink tea may be more likely to live longer than those who don't.

Tea contains helpful substances known to reduce inflammation, and studies in China and Japan, where green tea is popular, suggested health benefits. Now a big new study extends the good news to Britain's favorite drink: black tea.

Scientists from the US National Cancer Institute asked about the tea habits of nearly a half million adults in the United Kingdom, then followed them for up to 14 years. They adjusted for risk factors such as health, socioeconomics, smoking, alcohol intake, diet, age, race and gender.

Higher tea intake - two or more cups daily - was linked to a modest benefit: a 9-13 percent lower risk of death from any cause versus non-tea drinkers. Tea temperature or adding milk or sugar didn't change the results.