Good news, fellow Bears (and all caffeine lovers)! That yummy cup of Tesora from Phil’s and those matcha drinks at Asha may do more than perk up your day and delight taste buds: a recent study has shown that drinking green tea and coffee may lower your risk of stroke if they’re a regular part of your diet.
The National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center in Osaka, Japan conducted this first large-scale study examining the effects of both beverages on stroke risks, with its results published on March 14th, 2013, in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. For 13 years, they followed and questioned 83,269 healthy Japanese adults between the ages of 45 and 75 about their green tea and coffee drinking habits, alongside tracking their rates of heart disease, stroke, and other causes of death. Their findings:
- Those who had at least 1 daily cup* of coffee had about a 20% lower risk of stroke compared to those who rarely drink it.
- Those who drank 2-3 cups* of green tea daily had a 14% lower risk of stroke, while anyone else having at least 4 had a 20% lower risk instead, as compared to those who rarely drink it. Also, green tea drinkers are more likely to exercise than non-drinkers.
- (And the winning combo breaker!) Those who drank at least 1 cup of coffee or 2 cups* of green tea on a daily basis had a 32% lower risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (a type of stroke that is the bleeding within the brain tissue due to a ruptured blood vessel, commonly caused by hypertension) compared to those who rarely drink either.
*Note: A cup of coffee or tea in Japan in only six ounces—in the US, it’s generally eight (bigger, by no surprise).
Scientists aren’t sure yet as to why coffee and green tea help lower the risk of stroke, but many are conjecturing that catechins, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound in green tea, may play a role. As for coffee, scientists speculate that because its chemical called cholorogenic acid is shown to lower the chances of developing Type 2 diabetes, the risk of stroke may be cut as well.
The center’s chief doctor of the preventive cardiology department, Dr. Yoshihiro Kokubo, said in a press release, “You may make a small but positive lifestyle change to help lower the risk of stroke by adding daily green tea to your diet.” Mmm, small but yummy—I mean, positive, indeed.
In addition, several other studies in the last few years have also found that:
- Women who average around four or more cups of coffee daily have a 25% lower risk of developing endometrial cancer, and those who have at least two or three had a 7% lower risk compared to those who rarely or never drink.
- People who drink three to six cups of tea a day have a 45% lower risk of heart disease and stroke, while those who have two to four a 20% lower risk.
Other health benefits of drinking either and other teas also include:
- Protection from ovarian cancer: Women who drink two or more cups of black tea* have a 30% lower risk of it, thanks to its disease-fighting compound, theflavins.
- Protection from heart attacks (for women only, sorry guys): three cups of tea daily can prevent them with the theory being that tea might in some way compliment the female hormone estrogen that is also believed to prevent heart disease.
- Keeping your teeth healthy (teas only, and with moderate drinking and no sugar, lest you want cavities and your teeth stained): Tea has a good source of fluoride and certain compounds which fight against harmful mouth bacteria known to cause cavities and gum disease.
- Avoiding dementia and Alzheimer’s: Polyphenols, an antioxidant found in coffee, is shown to aid in brain function, thereby lowering the chance of dementia later on in life. Additionally, caffeine helps slow down the build-up of amyloid-beta, a toxic brain plaque associated with Alzheimer’s.
- Reducing your risk of oral cancer: Regular coffee drinkers are 39% less likely to develop oral and throat cancers than non-drinkers.
- Lowering the risk of Type 2 diabetes: But adding too much sugar into your coffee would defeat the purpose; otherwise, drinking coffee with little or no sugar cuts your risk of developing diabetes in half, thanks to their high levels of disease-fighting antioxidants.
*Note: It’s better to have your tea black (without milk) because researchers have found that adding milk can actually block the protective antioxidant benefits!
So no need to worry that your moderate intake may be negatively impacting your health (let’s not count all those sleepless nights spent guzzling down Starbucks© shots as you slave away on that last-minute paper, ahem). Just remember that it’s easy to upset the health benefits that come with drinking coffee and tea, such as having too much where you develop a caffeine addiction or contract gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining caused by having too much caffeinated beverages, spicy food, smoking, and or alcohol). Know your facts and again, drink (and eat) in moderation.
Sources:
Green tea, coffee may reduce stroke risk by 20 percent
Coffee and green tea may help lower stroke risk
Coffee may reduce women’s cancer risk