Health experts have spilled the tea on an anti-ageing secret.

According to research conducted by Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, drinking three cups of tea a day may increase your lifespan, the New York Post reported.

The research, published in The Lancet Regional Health, surveyed 7,900 Chinese citizens between the ages of 30 and 79 and around 5,600 British adults between the ages of 37 and 73 about their tea-drinking habits.

They were questioned about the type and quantity of tea they consumed every day. By inquiring about their blood pressure, cholesterol and body fat percentage, researchers also determined their biological age.

Since the study was only “observational”, it was impossible to determine whether or not drinking tea delayed biological ageing.

A study showed that regular tea drinkers appeared to be ageing more slowly. In addition to eating a healthy diet and drinking alcohol, the majority of these individuals were male and had lower rates of anxiety and sleeplessness.

The researchers concluded that drinking three cups of tea or six to eight grams of tea leaves a day may provide the most obvious anti-ageing advantages.

They concluded that, among regular tea users, moderate tea drinking showed the best anti-ageing advantages.

Participants who stopped drinking tea appeared to show an increase in ageing, according to the study.

Researchers think that the bioactive component of tea called polyphenols “modulates gut bacteria” and may be involved in the immune system, metabolism, and cognitive function regulation.

They also mentioned how worms, fleas and mice can live longer when exposed to flavonoids, “a kind of polyphenol that is rich in tea.”

Research is mounting to support the idea that drinking tea may help prevent age-related illnesses, including dementia, diabetes mellitus, heart disease and various forms of cancer. It has also been linked to a decreased risk of death.

They deemed the possibility that drinking tea may slow down human biological ageing to be “plausible” in light of the available data.

Researchers found no “substantial differences” in the tea-drinking habits of Chinese and British citizens.