Long Life May Be Your Cup of (Green) Tea

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"Tea is not harmful, that we know," he said. If you're a tea drinker, continue, Chyu said. If not, be aware that the habit probably needs to be long-term before you reap any real health benefit.

"I don't think I'd recommend people drink large quantities of green tea," added Dr. Robert Vogel, professor of medicine at the University of Maryland Medical School in College Park.

Like Chyu, he stressed that the study only showed an association, not any direct cause-and-effect. However, he said green tea consumption is certainly preferable to drinking beverages such as non-diet sodas, which are loaded with sugar.

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U.S. government health agencies have so far backed away from recommending green tea as a health aid. Earlier this year, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration review of the available data found no evidence to support companies' claims that green tea eases cardiovascular risk. The agency released a similar statement in 2005, noting a lack of evidence that green tea fights cancer.

Experts at the U.S. National Cancer Institute have also reviewed data from human trials focused on tea's cancer-preventing effects but said the studies offered conflicting results. The NCI is funding its own rigorous studies on the subject, however.

The study's lead author was much more enthusiastic.

"I personally drink green tea, two or three cups per day," Kuriyama said. "On the basis of our study results, I would like to recommend the drinking of green tea at least one cup per day."

But Kuriyama added that the tea should not be steaming hot. "Drinking green tea at high temperature may be associated with increased risk of esophageal cancer and mortality," he said, citing two published studies.

More information

To learn more about how antioxidants work, visit the American Heart Association (circ.ahajournals.org ).

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