Green Tea May Cut Death Risks
Considering the various diseases green tea can protect us from, is it any wonder if drinking green tea reduces our risks of dying due to these diseases?
An 11-year study monitoring more than 40 thousand Japanese adults showed that consumption of 5 or more cups of green tea per day led to lower risk of death in general and to cardiovascular disease, in particular.
These inverse associations of all-cause and CVD mortality were stronger among women, although the inverse association for green tea consumption was observed in both sexes. In women, compared with those who consumed less than 1 cup/d of green tea, those who consumed 5 or more cups/d had a 31 percent lower risk of CVD death.
When it comes to cancer, however, they found no significant association between green tea consumption and death from cancer.
If you’d like to read the study in detail, you can read the JAMA article here: Green Tea Consumption and Mortality Due to Cardiovascular Disease, Cancer, and All Causes in Japan.
The Chemistry and Applications of Green Tea seems to be a sound and well-reviewed reference for the basic chemistry, metabolism, and various other aspects of tea polyphenols and their applications.
Thanks for the reminder to drink my cup of green tea today. Another good reason to stick with this habit.
Is it true that you can find a variety of green teas that all taste different? The one and only time I tried the tea, it reminded me of cigarette butts. Don’t ask me why as I have never chewed up cigarette butts, but that is what it reminded me of. But I would like to give it another try if someone could point me to a brand that actually tastes good.
SP, I’m afraid, I can’t help you there. I’m not a fan of green tea either. I can’t bear the taste of the stuff, although I’ve seen vanilla- and fruit-flavored green teas in the grocery. I haven’t tried them, so am not sure if the aroma successfully masks the green tea taste. Maybe Heather can suggest something?