Green Tea Helps Prevent Heart Disease
A new meta-analysis recently reported in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests drinking green tea may help reduce the risk of a type of heart disease called coronary artery disease (CAD) or coronary heart disease.
The study found drinking one cup of green tea a day was associated with a 10 percent reduction in the risk of developing coronary artery disease.
Lian-Sheng Wang and colleagues from The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjiang Medical University in China meta-analysed data from 18 studies, 13 on black tea and 5 on green tea to see if there is an association between drinking black or green tea and risk of coronary heart disease.
Comparing those with the lowest consumption of black tea, the authors found those with the highest consumption was 8 percent less likely to develop coronary artery disease.
One cup of black tea per day was linked with 2 percent reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease.
Those who drank the highest amounts of green tea were found 28 percent less likely to develop coronary artery disease, compared with those who drank the lowest amount.
Each cup of green tea per day was correlated with a 10 percent decrease in the risk of the heart disease.
The researchers concluded "our data do not support a protective role of black tea against CAD (coronary artery disease)."
But they wrote " The limited data available on green tea support support a tentative association of green tea consumption with a reduced risk of CAD."
The analysis was based on data from observational studies. It did not establish a causal relationship, meaning drinking green tea may or may not help cut the risk.
It could be possible that those who drank green tea may follow a healthier lifestyle that helps reduce the risk, compared with those who did not drink as much green tea.
Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease, is a disease in which plaque builds up inside the coronary arteries. The condition can lead to angina (an-JI-nuh or AN-juh-nuh) or a heart attack.
It has been known for long that this heart disease has something to do with a person's diet. Eating a plant-based diet is known to lower the risk or even reverse the condition.
David Liu Ph.D.