According to the National Center for Health Statistics, approximately 102 million U.S. adults have total blood-cholesterol levels exceeding the amount considered healthy. Of those individuals, 41.3 million have levels of 240 and higher, which is considered high-risk.

High cholesterol levels have been increasing nationwide in recent years, due in part to expanded portion levels and poor food choices, but a recent study offers some hope. Experts have now found that drinking black tea may help lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.

The findings are the result of a three-week study conducted by a group of scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The studies’ results showed that people who drank black tea lowered their Low Density Lipoprotein almost 11 percent. Although it is unknown what causes the drop in LDL, researchers believe the tea may slow down the absorption of LDL cholesterol by the body.

“This may indicate that drinking tea regularly could have a beneficial effect if consumed regularly as part of a mixed diet for most people,” said Joseph Judd, a USDA chemist who led the study.

Cholesterol is absorbed in the blood and consists of LDL, which is the “bad cholesterol,” and HDL, or High Density Lipoprotein, which is the “good cholesterol.” LDL can clog arteries and cause a heart attack if there is too much of it in the bloodstream.

“If there is too much LDL cholesterol, it can leave the packet in which it is traveling and deposit itself on the wall of your arteries,” University of Wisconsin Food Science Professor Barbara Ingham said. “Your arteries are like big pipes, and they can tend to plug up or close off, and that is problematic.”

Cholesterol is not all bad, though. In fact, it can be good for you, in moderation. Cholesterol is found in animal products such as eggs, milk, meat and fish, and a small portion is produced by the body. It is a waxy substance in the bloodstream that helps form cells and some hormones.

An excess of cholesterol, however, can lead to heart disease, heart attacks and strokes. “Most of our body is water and for things like cholesterol to circulate in our blood, they don’t normally want to be in a water environment,” Ingham said. “So when we want to move cholesterol in the blood stream we have to packet it with proteins or lipoproteins.”

The result of high cholesterol, heart disease, is the No. 1 killer in the United States for men and women, and according to the American Heart Association, more than 41 million Americans currently have high cholesterol levels.

Many coffee shops around campus carry black tea, including the Steep & Brew located on State Street. Steep & Brew offers 18 different kinds of black tea from a variety of countries, including India, Sri Lanka and Asia.

“Out of every 10 costumers we have in our store, one person will buy black tea,” Steep & Brew employee Nicole White said. “Earl Grey seems to be the most popular.”

White recommends Steep & Brew’s Russian Caravan tea to first-time tasters, because it is a bit more fruity than the Earl Grey.

“Ancient cultures have been drinking tea for centuries,” UW sophomore Michael Duffy said. “They must have known something we didn’t, but maybe we’re finally tapping into that knowledge.”