Drinking tea can reduce strokes

"By drinking three cups of tea a day, the risk of a stroke was reduced 21%," said Lenore Arab, professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine.

The professor also said that the more you drink, the better your odds of staving off a stroke. Drinking three more cups can drop another 21%.

The effect was found in tea made from the plant Camellia sinensis, not herbs, Arab said.

Researchers speculate that the anti-oxidant epigallocatechin gallate or the amino acid Theanine in tea may be what helps.

Some studies show anti-oxidants help prevent coronary artery disease, daily news reported Friday.

"If we can find a way to prevent the stroke, or prevent the damage, that is simple and not toxic, that would be a great advance," Arab said.