Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Drinking Green Tea, Coffee Cuts Stroke Risk

Individuals who drink green tea and coffee as part of their regular diet may lower their risk of stroke, according to a new study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. The findings also suggest the more green tea or coffee people drink, the lower their stroke risks.
                      
Researchers at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center in Osaka, Japan, conducted the first large-scale study to examine the combined effects of both green tea and coffee on stroke risks. Previous limited research has shown green tea’s link to lower death risks from heart disease, but has only touched on its association with lower stroke risks. Other studies have shown inconsistent connections between coffee and stroke risks.

For the study, researchers 83,269 Japanese adults aged 45 to 74 years who were from cancer and cardiovascular disease about their green tea and coffee drinking habits. During the 13-year follow-up, researchers reviewed participants’ hospital medical records and death certificates, collecting data about heart disease, strokes and causes of death. They adjusted their findings to account for age, sex and lifestyle factors like smoking, alcohol, weight, diet and exercise.

They found people who drank at least 1 cup of coffee daily had about a 20% lower risk of stroke compared to those who rarely drank it. People who drank 2 to 3 cups of green tea daily had a 14% lower risk of stroke, and those who had at least 4 cups had a 20% lower risk, compared to those who rarely drank it. People who drank at least 1 cup of coffee or 2 cups of green tea daily had a 32% lower risk of intracerebral hemorrhage, compared to those who rarely drank either beverage.

Initial study results showed drinking more than 2 cups of coffee daily was linked to increasing coronary heart disease rates in age- and sex-adjusted analysis. However, researchers didn’t find the association after factoring in the effects of cigarette smoking—underscoring smoking’s negative health impact on heart and stroke health.

The researchers said the regular action of drinking tea or coffee largely benefits cardiovascular health because it partly keeps blood clots from forming. And while it’s unclear how green tea affects stroke risk, a compound group known as catechins may provide some protection. Catechins have an antioxidant anti-inflammatory effect, increasing plasma antioxidant capacity and anti-thrombogenic effects. Some chemicals in coffee include chlorogenic acid, thus cutting stroke risks by lowering the chances of developing type 2 diabetes.

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