Time for a cuppa — and another and another...

"It's basically a good news story for those who like tea and coffee. These drinks appear to offer benefits for the heart without raising the risk of dying from anything else," Professor Yvonne van der Schouw, the leader of the study, told the BBC.

The study in the Journal of the American Heart Association says that those who drank between two and four cups a day lowered their risk of heart disease by 20 per cent.

Ellen Mason, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "This study adds further weight to the evidence that drinking tea and coffee in moderation is not harmful for most people, and may even lower your risk of developing or dying from heart disease.

"Having a cigarette with your coffee could completely cancel any benefits, while drinking lots of tea in front of the TV for hours on end without exercising is unlikely to offer your heart much protection at all."