A study tracking more than 80,000 adults for 13 years found those who regularly drank green tea or coffee were 20 percent less likely to suffer a stroke, researchers said Friday.
Green tea may help protect blood vessels, while coffee could lower blood sugar levels, according to the study by the National Cancer Center in Tokyo and the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center in Osaka.
The team followed some 82,000 people aged between 45 and 74 in nine public health center jurisdictions in the late 1990s. In the tracking period, 3,425 people suffered various forms of stroke, such as brain hemorrhage and subarachnoid bleeding. Compared with those who abstained from green tea or coffee, those who drank at least one cup of green tea each day had a 22 to 35 percent lower risk of suffering a brain hemorrhage. The risk of a stroke was 14 to 20 percent lower among those who drank two to three cups daily, the study found. For coffee, those who drank three to six cups a week had an 11 to 20 percent lower risk of experiencing a stroke.