In a recent, not-at-all-surprising study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, scientists concluded that green tea could be -- in the words of Reuters -- the "secret to healthy old age." Researchers at the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan determined that elderly people who routinely drink green tea are likely to be far more able-bodied and independent than their same-age peers.
I am positively addicted to green tea. Not a day goes by that I don't chug at least a cup or two of the good stuff. I drink it hot, warm, iced, or mixed with a variety of other drinks. And I do so not just because I enjoy the taste of this ancient beverage, but also because I know that it will benefit my health on both a long-term and short-term basis. I honestly have trouble understanding why anyone wouldn't drink green tea every day.
Following years of research demonstrating that green tea may prevent illnesses ranging from colds and flu to cardiovascular disease and cancer, the Tohoku University scientists have added one more point to green tea's list of benefits. Out of 14,000 senior citizens, those who drank green tea regularly had the lowest rates of disabilities. They were the most capable of dressing themselves, bathing themselves, and providing other forms of basic self-care.
Elderly adults who drank at least five cups of green tea per day had the lowest rates of disability, with just 7 percent becoming disabled over the three-year course of the study. Those who drank less than a cup of green tea each day had nearly twice the disability rate, at 13 percent after three years. Given this, there is little reason that senior citizens shouldn't be prescribed green tea -- which is, overall, very safe with few side effects -- as a part of a preventative medicine protocol.
We have known for decades that the people of Japan are statistically much more likely to survive and thrive into old age, compared to Americans. And, for an equal amount of time, experts have suspected higher rates of green tea consumption to be among the contributing factors to the impressive longevity of the citizens of Japan. At this point, the evidence of green tea's benefits are so well-founded in clear scientific research that it seems like a common-sense step -- along with diet, exercise, and a smoke-free lifestyle -- toward a healthier life.
Unless you have a medical condition that makes green tea consumption unwise or dangerous, there's no reason not to include the good stuff in your own lifestyle choices. Perhaps one day, along with anti-smoking and pro-veggie ads, we'll also start seeing our government encouraging us to drink green tea.
Juniper Russo is a freelance writer, health consultant and full-time mom living in Chattanooga, TN.
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