Why is Earl Grey 'as good as statins' at fighting heart disease?

The tea contains bergamot extract, which scientists say is a superfood for the heart.

16:56 31 March 2014

Scientists say that a cup of Earl Grey Tea, which contains extract of a fruit called bergamot, is good for the heart as it helps lower cholesterol and reduce the chances of heart disease. Because of this, the beverage, which is much favoured in Downtown Abbey, has been dubbed by scientists as superfood for the heart.

The experts even claim that it could be as effective as statins – the drug used to control cholesterol but have side effects on patients.

Bergamot is a Mediterranean citrus fruit that contains enzymes known as HMGF (hydroxyl methyl glutaryl flavonones), which is proven effective in treating heart diseases.

A report said: “High cholesterol is a common health concern for us all and often statins are given to help treat the condition.

“Extract from bergamot - most commonly used in Earl Grey tea - reduced total cholesterol, and LDL levels but there was an increase in HDL levels (good cholesterol).

“Therefore a daily supplement of bergamot fruit extract could be very effective for the treatment of high cholesterol.”