Heart Disease Prevention - Can Drinking Tea Prevent Heart Disease?

It is believed that tea has beneficial health effects, including cancer prevention, weight loss, skin improvement, protection the brain from Alzheimer's and dementia, and helps lower blood sugar because it is a good source of the compounds known as catechins and epicatechins. Find our more at:

Heart Disease Prevention - Can Drinking Tea Prevent Heart Disease?

Can Drinking Coffee Or Tea Lower Stroke Risk?

Coffee and tea are 2 of the popular beverages around the world. But coffee and most kinds of tea contains caffeine, of which its health effects have remained controversial.

Some studies reported that caffeine is bad for the health. For instance, studies indicated that consuming more than 500 to 600 mg of caffeine a day may lead to insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, an upset stomach, a fast heartbeat and even muscle tremors. Yet there are favorable health reports on caffeine. A study showed that people who drank 3 to 5 cups of coffee a day were less likely to have a buildup of calcium in the vessels that bring blood to the heart muscle. That could mean a lower chance of heart disease. Research also indicated that coffee and green tea might help prevent breast and prostate cancers, while all kinds of tea may protect one against the kinds of cancer that affect the ovaries and stomach.

On March 14, 2013, a paper published in ‘American Heart Association's journal Stroke’ reported that a cup of coffee or 4 cups of green tea a day may reduce the risk of stroke by 20 percent.

Japanese researchers looked at the drinking habits of 82,369 Japanese adults aged between 45 and 74 over a 13-year period. These participants were free from cardiovascular disease or cancer in 1995 and 1998. Over the course of study, they kept track of hospital records, death certificates and data about deaths from heart disease and stroke. 

During an average of 13 years of follow-up, they found that those who had at least 1 cup of coffee a day lowered their risk for stroke about 20 percent. And, compared to those who rarely drank green tea, people who drank 2 to 3 cups a day had a 14 percent lower risk of stroke and people who drank at least 4 cups lowered their risk by 20 percent. 

Risk for a type of stroke called a hemorrhagic stroke was cut by 32 percent among those who drank a cup of coffee or 2 cups of green tea daily. Hemorrhagic stroke, which accounts for about 13 percent of stroke, is a condition in which a blood vessel in the brain bursts and blood floods part of the brain. 

The researchers claimed that both drinks helped protect from the risk of heart attacks. Their findings also suggested regularly drinking both coffee and green tea could provide the greatest benefit possibly due to an interaction effect for each other.

All the results were arrived after taking into account of factors like age, sex, smoking, alcohol, weight, diet and exercise. In the study, green tea drinkers were more likely to exercise than non-drinkers. 

While it is unclear how green tea affects stroke risk, researchers suspected that green tea contains catechins that may provide some protection to blood vessels. Several chemicals in coffee are believed to offer a boost to health, including caffeine and chlorogenic acid, which researchers suggest could help cut stroke risks by lowering the chances of developing Type-2 diabetes.

Heart Disease Prevention - What People Should And Should Not Do To Lose Weight?

Losing weight means burning more calories. The body burns calories during exercise to fuel the activity. Even after exercising, the body is still burning more calories. While exercising is paramount, diet also plays a part in managing weight. Eating protein-rich diet can help burn... Read more at:

Heart Disease Prevention - What People Should And Should Not Do To Lose Weight?

Why Green Tea Should Be On Your Daily Beverage List?

Green tea is one of my favorite drinks. Almost every evening after dinner, I will have a cup of green tea. I cannot recall when I started this habit, but I still remember when I had the first cup of green tea, I did not like its taste.

Green tea has been famous for its rich antioxidant properties because it contains compounds such as catechins. It may help reduce free radical damage that is often associated with certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases.

When comparing to other beverages such as coffee, green tea is more beneficial as it contains 6 times less caffeine and is virtually calorie-free.

A recent study by researchers at the University of Arizona found that caffeine-free green tea increased the production of detoxification enzymes known as glutathione S-transferase (GST) in the body. These enzymes are important in helping the body defend against toxic and cancer-causing compounds found in a person's genetic make-up and in the environment.

The researchers studied 42 healthy individuals who took 4 capsules of green tea extract every morning for a month. GST levels in the participants who had begun the study with the lowest levels of GST increased by 80 per cent, while participants who had low or moderate levels of GST initially experienced a slight increase in GST levels.

Despite of the many benefits that green tea has, you should take green tea in moderation. Different kinds of green tea has different tea catechin content, thus it is not easy to ascertain the optimal amount daily consumption. Catechin content may also depend on factors such as where the leaves are grown, how they are processed and prepared. On average, each cup of green tea contains between 50 and 100mg of catechins.

In addition, not everyone can drink green tea in large amounts. When we consumed green tea with food, the absorption of iron can significantly be reduced from the food. Therefore, those who are anaemic should avoid drinking too much of it. People with a heart condition should also check with their doctor before starting a green tea diet.

Antioxidant nutrients like vitamin C and vitamin E, phytochemicals such as catechins, carotenoids and antioxidant enzymes (GST) work in synergy in the body. As such, it is important for people to have a well-balanced diet that includes at least 2 servings each of fruit and vegetables to ensure optimal antioxidant protection.