Green Tea: Drink Up to Youth

Looking for a health "elixir" that will keep your body as young as your spirit? You may already be drinking it.

A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that elderly adults who regularly sip green tea may stay more agile and independent than their peers as they age.

Researchers at the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan followed nearly 14,000 people aged 65 or older for three years and found that those who drank at least five cups of green tea daily were one-third less likely to develop “functional disability,” or problems with routine tasks and activities, than those who drank less than one cup daily. Only seven percent of adults who drank the most tea became disabled, compared with 13 percent of those who drank the least.

This difference was evident even after accounting for other factors such as the finding that green-tea drinkers generally had healthier diets, more education, lower smoking rates, better heart health, greater mental sharpness, more active social lives, and stronger support networks. It also applied to a lesser extent to tea-lovers who averaged three to four cups a day. (They were 25 percent less likely to develop age-related difficulties.)

Researchers aren't sure exactly how green tea protects against frailty and disability, but they note that previous studies have shown a boost in leg-muscle strength from green tea extracts. They also point out that green tea is rich in antioxidants that may help ward off disease.

Among the many other possible benefits associated with tea consumption are: lower cholesterol, greater bone density, improved memory, higher energy levels, and reduced cancer risk.

There is a downside, though. While green tea is considered safe in small amounts, it does contain caffeine and some vitamin K, which could interfere with clot-busting drugs such as warfarin. If you’re taking this or another medication, talk with your doctor before you tea up.

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