The health benefits of green tea have been widely reported, and a Japanese study suggests that drinking green tea can actually extend life expectancy. This appears to be due to the healthy heart benefits of the beverage that may prevent cardiovascular disease.
Green tea is a staple in the Japanese diet and may "prolong your life through reducing heart disease and stroke," according to Dr. Shinichi Kuriyama from the Tohoku University School of Public Policy in Japan.
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Shinichi told
WebMD that research findings "might explain the differences in mortality profile between Japan and the United States. The Japanese age-adjusted rate of mortality due to [heart disease and stroke] is about 30 percent lower than that of the United States."
Dr. Shinichi and his colleagues collected data for 11 years from a sample of 40,530 Japanese adults aged 40 to 79 years.
According to Harvard Health publications, the study found that those who consumed more than five cups of green tea a day had a "26 percent lower risk of death from heart attack or stroke and a 16 percent lower risk of death from all causes than people who drank less than one cup of green tea a day."
These findings indicate that a diet that includes an ample amount of green tea may extend life expectancy.
Dr. Shinichi's study on green tea was published in
The Journal of the American Medical Association in 2006 with the objective to "investigate the associations between green tea consumption and all-cause and cause-specific mortality."
The study concluded, "Green tea consumption is associated with reduced mortality due to all causes and due to cardiovascular disease but not with reduced mortality due to cancer."
Dr. Shinichi stated, "Tea is the most consumed beverage in the world aside from water."
This statement would seem to indicate that tea consumption, specifically green tea, could have a significant influence on human health and life expectancy.
Dr. Shinichi is but one of many experts who have identified the health benefits of green tea.
According to Life Extension Magazine, Dr. Swen Wolfram from Switzerland said, "No other traditional beverage has received such widespread scientific attention, and knowledge about its positive effects is exceptional. The various health benefits of regular green tea consumption may finally result in a prolonged life span.”
Further, Dr. Pon Velayutham Anandh Babu, from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg said, “Recent studies suggest that green tea possesses various health benefits on cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and diabetic complications, and oral health."
Green tea continues to inspire research into its beneficial properties, which reportedly include weight loss, improvement in cognition, cancer prevention, heart health and immune system support. While most Americans do not consume green tea on a daily basis, there are other ways to include green tea in the diet. In addition to traditional tea brewing methods, bottled green tea as well as green tea supplements are readily available from reputable health food sources.
This article is for information only and is not intended as medical advice. Talk with your doctor about your specific health and medical needs.
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