Drinking tea can reduce strokes

A new study in the United States has found out that drinking three or more cups of tea per day can reduce the risk of stroke.

"By drinking three cups of tea a day, the risk of a stroke was reduced 21%," said Lenore Arab, professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine. The professor also said that the more you drink, the better your odds of staving off a stroke. Drinking three more cups can drop another 21%.

The effect was found in tea made from the plant Camellia sinensis, not herbs, Arab said. Researchers speculate that the anti-oxidant epigallocatechin gallate or the amino acid Theanine in tea may be what helps. Some studies show anti-oxidants help prevent coronary artery disease, daily news reported Friday.

"If we can find a way to prevent the stroke, or prevent the damage, that is simple and not toxic, that would be a great advance," Arab said.