Pop the kettle on, because this one isn’t straightforward. There are reams of research looking into the health effects of hot drinks but, sadly, the scientific method doesn’t hold much stock in tournament-style knockouts.
There’s also the fact that different drinks affect different aspects of our health, making it tricky to do a top-level, side-by-side comparison.
The good news is that several hot drinks are known to have a measurable impact on our health, particularly when they’re drunk often.
Let’s start with coffee, second only to water in the league table of humanity’s most consumed drinks. Using a large dataset from the UK Biobank, researchers found that people who drink one or two cups of coffee a day tend to live longer.
Research in Asian populations found a similar effect, with people who drink five cups of coffee a day seeing as much as a 28 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality.
Polyphenols in coffee are thought to offer serious health benefits.
These antioxidant-rich micronutrients protect against things like inflammation and oxidative stress, which contribute to a wide array of ailments, from cardiovascular disease to neurodegenerative conditions.
Caffeine may offer similar effects, although these vary more dramatically from person to person.
Green tea is the other steamy big hitter, with a solid base of evidence to support the hype. Again, research shows that regular consumption leads to reductions in the risk of cancer, heart disease and all-cause mortality.
And again, it’s polyphenols doing the heavy lifting, with one – epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) – sometimes singled out. A large 2025 meta-analysis found that regular consumption of EGCG could even prevent some cancers.
If you prefer black tea, as many of us in Western countries do, know that it’s generally considered less potent than either coffee or green tea – but there are still health benefits at the bottom of your mug.
Research has shown that black tea can reduce blood pressure and LDL cholesterol, and regular consumption is also linked to slower cognitive decline in later years.
There’s a more modest effect on all-cause mortality, but one study, again using UK Biobank data, found that if you drink more than two cups of tea a day, your risk is reduced by 9 to 13 per cent.
What’s more, researchers have largely debunked the myth that adding milk to your tea undoes the health benefits.
There are other drinks, too. Herbal teas typically have strong polyphenol profiles, and some have been shown to be effective in specific aspects of health.
Peppermint tea can reduce IBS symptoms, for example. Chamomile tea has been linked to improved sleep quality when it’s taken regularly. And hibiscus tea has shown promise for reducing blood pressure.
Unfortunately, science has yet to fully investigate whether a traditional hot toddy is actually any good for cold symptoms.
The hot liquid may help clear nasal pathways, honey may suppress coughing and there’s some evidence around vitamin C from the lemon. The whisky, however, is more what you might call ‘subjectively medicinal’.
This article is an answer to the question (asked by Jodie Whitehead, Wormington) 'What's the best hot drink for your health?'
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