eMedicineLive

There have been reports which claim that consuming green tea regularly is associated with reduced likelihood of developing stroke, cognitive impairment, and osteoporosis. However, a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has found that regular consumption of green tea is also associated with a reduced incidence of functional disability in the elderly people.

 

The study was conducted in Japan under the leadership of Dr. Yasutake Tomata from the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine. It was a prospective cohort study in which the tea drinking habits of around 14, 000 participants were analyzed. All the participants in the study were above the age of 65 years. The subjects were asked questions regarding their daily green tea consumption and other life style factors by means of questionnaires. The participants were followed up for a period of 3 years.

 

The researchers noted that the incidence of functional disability in elderly people who consumed 1- 2 cups of green tea daily was 0.90, it was 0.75 in those participants who consumed 3-4 cups of green tea per day and 0.67 in those who consumed more than 5 cups per day compared to those participants who consumed less than one cup every day. 

 

The exact mechanism behind the protection offered by green tea against functional disability is not known. However, it has been seen that extracts of green tea help in increasing the muscle strength in the legs of elderly women. People consuming green tea regularly have been found to be taking a healthier diet generally. They consume more fish, green vegetables and fruits and are found to be more agile mentally.

 

Though green tea is considered to be safe for human consumption in small amounts, taking a large quantity can lead to interference with drugs used to prevent blood clotting. This is because it contains traces of vitamin K and caffeine.

 

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