Link between green tea and reduced mortality discovered

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Consumption of green tea reduces all-cause and heart disease mortality, according to Japanese study.
Green tea has long been promoted for its health benefits. It's thought that the active ingredients are polyphenols, which may protect against heart disease and cancer. Researchers at the Tohoku University School of Public Policy in Japan now report upon how green tea consumption affects mortality in a group of over 40,000 adults aged between 40 and 79.

The participants were followed up for seven years, after being questioned about their green tea consumption. Those consuming five or more cups of green tea a day had a 16 per cent reduced mortality from all causes and a 26 per cent reduced mortality from heart disease compared to those who drank less than one cup of green tea a day. The protective effect was greater for women than for men. But there was no link between green tea consumption and cancer mortality. Nor was there any protective effect from either black or oolong tea.

Source
Journal of the American Medical Association 13th September 2006 Volume 296 pages 1255-1265