New research suggests that drinking at least three cups of either black or green tea made from the Camellia sinensis plant may significantly reduce the risk of ischemic stroke. Individuals with high blood pressure are prime candidates for ischemic stroke.

Researchers at UCLA conducted a meta-analysis in which they reviewed nine published studies involving almost 195,000 participants. The data indicated that there was a statistically significant decrease of 21% in stroke risk when participants drank three cups daily of black or green tea, and if the participant drank yet another 3 cups their risk of ischemic stroke decreased yet another 21%. A randomized clinical trial is the next step to confirming their findings.

While the exact reason for this relationship is unknown, researchers hypothesize that antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate or the amino acid theanine may be responsible for the decrease in risk. Theanine is a remarkable amino acid that may block the glutamate receptor in the brain, and since glutamate is known to be associated with stroke, this action could be contributing to the observed decrease in stroke risk.

For more information visit http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/green-and-black-tea-can-reduce-81962.aspx?link_page_rss=81962 or http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/short/40/5/1786.