Scientists have long been debating which drink is healthier – tea or coffee. Coffee supporters claim that it not only gives a boost of energy, but also has a number of positive effects on the body, which is confirmed by many studies. For example, coffee slows down brain aging, promotes weight loss and even reduces the risk of death from various diseases. But one of the largest studies, recently conducted by employees of the University of Galway, showed that in fact, not everything is so clear – coffee can greatly increase the risk of death. But tea, on the contrary, can improve health.
Tea is healthier than coffee. Photo source: mods-gamer.ru
Contents
- 1 Why coffee is more harmful than tea
- 2 Tea reduces the risk of stroke
- 3 What other drinks increase the risk of death from stroke
- 4 How to reduce the risk of stroke
Why coffee is more harmful than tea
Earlier we reported that, according to some studies, several cups of coffee a day reduce the risk of death from various diseases. This is due not only to the caffeine content in coffee, but also to some other useful substances. However, at the same time, according to the results of the latest study, 4 cups of coffee a day increase the risk of stroke. And we are not talking about a few percent. The risk increases by more than a third. Agree, this is a significant enough result to give up coffee.
For their study, the authors recruited nearly 27,000 people from 27 different countries in Europe, Asia, South America, etc. As a result, representatives of different ethnic groups with different cardiovascular risk profiles were recruited. Among them were more than 13,000 people who had suffered a stroke for the first time in their lives.
Four cups of coffee a day increase the risk of stroke by more than a third. Photo source: tengrinews.kz
Tea Reduces Stroke Risk
According to the authors of the work, tea has the opposite effect, that is, it reduces the risk of stroke. For example, drinking three to four cups of black tea a day can reduce this risk by 29%. Green tea is not far behind black tea, and reduces this figure by 27%. By the way, some studies have also previously shown that black tea is somewhat healthier than green tea.
However, to get a positive effect, tea should be drunk without any additives. In particular, milk can reduce or even completely block the beneficial properties of antioxidants contained in this drink. Therefore, scientists did not find any beneficial effect from tea in those who drank it with milk.
Black tea reduces the risk of stroke by 27%. Photo source: stopfake.kz
The authors also found some geographic differences. The benefits of tea consumption were highest in China and South America. However, in South Asia, tea consumption increased the risk of stroke. Unfortunately, the study does not say whether this difference is due to the characteristics of tea consumption, the tea itself, or other factors. Perhaps in some countries it is common to add a lot of sugar to tea, while in others it is drunk without any additives at all.
What other drinks increase the risk of death from stroke
In their work, the authors compared not only the benefits and harms of coffee and tea, but also paid attention to other drinks, namely, sweet “fizzy drinks” and fruit juices. The results were quite predictable, because carbonated drinks have long been called “liquid death.” A striking example of this is Mexico, where people die en masse from Coca-Cola.
The study found that they increase the risk of stroke by 22%. This figure increases sharply if you drink fizzy drinks several times a day. The link between fizzy drinks and stroke was particularly strong in Eastern and Central Europe, the Middle East, Africa and South America.
Fruit juices are more harmful than sweet carbonated drinks. Photo source: inkorr.com
But, most interestingly, the risk of stroke is even greater when drinking fruit juices – this figure rises to 37%. If you drink fruit juices several times a day, the risk of stroke triples. Women are most at risk.
However, the reason is most likely not that fruit juices themselves are harmful. It's just that most juices sold in stores are made with preservatives. They contain large amounts of sugar and other substances, as a result of which, instead of the benefits that fresh fruit provides, a person receives serious harm from juices.
Scientists recommend drinking more water. Photo source: aquaphor.ru
How to reduce the risk of stroke
Drinking black tea is not the only way to reduce the risk of stroke. The results of the study showed that regular water helps with this. However, you need to drink at least 7 cups a day. At the very least, this reduces the risk of stroke caused by a blood clot.
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Of course, there are other factors that increase the likelihood of stroke. For example, a sedentary lifestyle, which we talked about earlier. In addition, a stroke can occur due to bad habits, such as smoking or intentional consumption of alcoholic beverages.