Green tea is known for its various health benefits like lowering levels of “bad” cholesterol along with improving overall health. Recent study has shown that intake of 5 cups of green tea a day can reduce the risk of developing certain blood cancers.

Study conducted at Tohoku University School of Medicine in Sendai, Japan, looked at the relationship between green tea intake and risk of blood cancer.

Research team analyzed data collected from 41,761 Japanese adults aged 40 to 79. Researchers collected information regarding green tea intake and diets of these 19,749 men and 22,012 women. Other factors like age, gender, education, smoking status and history, alcohol use, and fish and soybean intake were also considered.

Study subjects were followed for development of blood and lymph-system cancers for nine years. During study period, there were 157 blood, bone marrow, and lymph system cancers in the study subjects.

It was found that study subjects with intake of five cups of green tea daily had 42 percent lower risk of blood cancer as compared to study subjects who drank one or fewer, cups of green tea daily.

Study also indicated that green tea reduced the risk of blood-related cancers among obese study subjects. Obese people are generally considered to have higher risk of such cancers.