New studies show that drinking tea is good for health. Most people start their daily routine with a good cup of tea. Drinking tea is refreshing. New studies show that tea drinkers are healthier than non-tea drinkers.

In a UK-based study of half a million people, it was found that those who drink tea have a lower death rate than those who do not drink tea. The analysis looked at the benefits of drinking black tea, commonly consumed in the UK.

Studies linking high consumption of tea to health have previously focused mainly on Asian populations who drink green tea.

In the new study, researchers found that people who consumed two or more cups of tea per day had a 9% to 13% lower death rate than people who did not drink tea. High tea consumption reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease and stroke. The study did not take into account the temperature of the tea, the use of milk or sugar, and genetic variations that affect the rate of caffeine metabolism in people.

The study, published Monday in Annals of Internal Medicine, found the association held up for heart disease deaths, but there was no clear trend for cancer deaths. Researchers weren’t sure why, but it’s possible there weren’t enough cancer deaths for any effect to show up, said Maki Inoue-Choi, who led the study.