Daily cuppa lowers glaucoma risk by 74%

A morning cup of tea while reading the newspaper or as a refreshment break with co-workers could help to ward off eye disease.

A recent study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology found that drinking at least one cup of hot tea each day lowers the risk of glaucoma by 74%.

In the study, researchers also analysed the impact of drinking decaffeinated and caffeinated coffee, decaffeinated tea, iced tea and soft drinks but found that only tea was associated with a lower glaucoma risk.

The study authors looked at data from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the US.

Among the 1678 participants who had full eye tests, 84 adults had glaucoma.

After taking into account factors that influence glaucoma risk, such as smoking and diabetes, tea drinkers were 74% less likely to have the eye condition.

“Larger prospective studies are needed to investigate the proposed association between tea consumption and decreased glaucoma risk," the authors concluded.