CHICAGO - A study of more than 40,000 people in Japan has found that drinking green tea will lower the risk of stroke, but not cancer.
The authors of the study say that this may be the reason why a less number of Japanese succumb to heart disease and stroke than Americans. Tea contains antioxidants, which is linked to healthy cells. Green tea has been researched for a long time for potential benefits.
In the study Shinichi Kuriyama of Tohoku University in Sendai and colleagues followed the people for over 11 years. Those who drank five or more cups of green tea a day had a 16 percent lower risk of death as compared to people who drank less than one cup per day. The study is published in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.
Previously this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had found no credible scientific data to prove the benefits of green tea. Alice Lichtenstein, a spokeswoman for the American Heart Association said that the Japanese study participants were less overweight than Americans. "The point is, if you're drinking green tea, that's fine. It's premature to recommend that somebody start drinking it to protect their health," she added.
