London - Drinking one cup of coffee and two cups of green tea a day could lower your risk of suffering a stroke, researchers believe.
Scientists found people who had a daily cup of coffee were 20 percent less likely to have a stroke, while those who had two to three cups of green tea a day had a 14 percent reduced risk.
But the study suggests regularly having both in a day could provide the greatest benefit because the drinks work in different ways.
Researchers looked at the drinking habits of nearly 84 000 Japanese adults, aged between 45 and 74, over a 13-year period.
The study, published in the US journal Stroke, concluded that the “combination of higher green tea and coffee consumption contributed to the reduced risk of stroke as an interaction effect for each other”.
Both drinks also helped to protect from the risk of heart attacks, according to the researchers.
It is thought compounds known as catechins in green tea may help protect blood vessels.
Several chemicals in coffee, including caffeine and chlorogenic acid, are thought to cut stroke risks by lowering the chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
Lead author Dr Yoshihiro Kokubo, from Japan’s National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Centre, concluded: “Regularly drinking tea and coffee largely benefits cardiovascular health because it partly keeps blood clots from forming.” - Daily Mail