Green Tea Drinkers More Agile Later in Life
Elderly adults who have a penchant for green tea may be able to enjoy a more independent lifestyle, based on the results of a Japanese study.
The study focused on determining whether green tea drinkers are less at risk for frailty and disability later in life. The researchers found that elderly adults who drink green tea regularly are more agile and independent when compared against their peers.
The study, which was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, was conducted by Yasutake Tomata of the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and his colleagues, and gathered data from nearly 14,000 adults aged 65 years or older, for a period of three years.
The researchers found that study participants who drank green tea the most were least likely to develop “functional disability,” or issues with daily activities or basic needs, such as dressing or bathing. The results of the study indicated that almost 13 percent of adults who drank less than a cup of tea daily became functionally disabled. Only over 7 percent of those who drank at least five cups of green tea per day encountered the same problems.
The researchers wrote: “Green tea consumption is significantly associated with a lower risk of incident functional disability, even after adjustment for possible confounding factors.”
The study was unable to prove, however, that green tea alone was responsible for the positive effects experienced by the elderly subjects. It was determined further that green tea drinkers usually had healthier diets, consisting of fish, vegetables, and fruit; were more educated; and had lower smoking rates, among others.
Tags: advantages of drinking green tea, benefits of green tea, drink green tea, health effects of green tea
