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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | Next >> Deaths from cardiovascular disease were 26 percent lower for tea drinkers vs. those who avoided the beverage.
These effects were even stronger among women. Women who drank five or more cups of green tea per day had a 31 percent lower risk of death from heart disease and stroke death compared to women who drank less than a cup a day.
Green tea appeared to have no effect on cancer risk, however. The researchers also saw only a weak or negligible effect on death rates for people who drank black or oolong teas.
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"The reason for the discrepancy between effects on cardiovascular disease and on cancer death in our study is uncertain," Kuriyama said. Other human trials have also failed to find any effect between green tea consumption and cancer, he noted.
How does green tea work its heart-healthy magic? Experts believe natural compounds called polyphenols -- particularly one substance called epigallocatechin-3-gallate -- provide the health benefits. These substances have strong antioxidant properties that may help prevent heart disease.
The study was funded by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
Another expert, Dr. Kuang-Yuh Chyu, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a staff cardiologist at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, said the study, while interesting, is only "observational data."
One of the problems with this type of study, he explained, is that "you can't control for a lot of things."
"To be more definitive, we need a randomized trial," said Chyu. He said his lab's animal studies have found that green tea does have cardio-protective effects, especially if consumption commences before the onset of hardening of the arteries.
For those who might want to "go green" for health, "I'd probably take a neutral position right now," Chyu said.
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