Consuming even one fruit juice or fizzy drink, or having more than four cups of coffee can increase your risk of stroke, as per a study. Having black tea and green tea can cut this risk on the other hand, said new global research studies.
Drinking 7 cups of water was also found to be linked to reduced chances of stroke.
The findings related to fruit juice and fizzy drinks were published in the Journal of Stroke while those related to tea and coffee were reported in the International Journal of Stroke.
Researchers found that drinking more than four cups of coffee per day increased the risk of stroke while the same amount of tea can decrease the risk.
In one analysis, researchers discovered that drinking up to one carbonated beverage per day, whether sweetened by sugar or artificially sweetened was linked to a 22% increased overall risk of stroke. The risk was tripled when two of these drinks were consumed per day.
Reason why drinking fruit juice increases stroke risk
The study noted that the increased risk of stroke could stem from the fact that many products marketed as fruit juice have high amounts of concentrates, added sugars and preservatives, which may offset the benefits linked with fresh fruit, and increase stroke risk.
Fruit juice drinks were linked with a 37% increase in the chance of stroke due to bleeding or intracranial hemorrhage. With two of these drinks a day, the risk triples. Women were shown to experience increased chance of stroke due to bleeding or intracranial hemorrhage linked to fruit juices compared to men.
Not all fruit drinks can increase stroke risk: Researcher
“Not all fruit drinks are created equal – freshly squeezed fruit juices are most likely to bring benefits, but fruit drinks made from concentrates, with lots of added sugars and preservatives, may be harmful. Our research also shows that the chance of stroke increases the more often someone consumes fizzy drinks,” says Lead researcher on both studies Professor Andrew Smyth, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Galway and Consultant Physician at Galway University Hospitals.
Another analysis noted that having more than four cups of coffee a day increased the chance of stroke by 37%, but lower intake did not increase stroke risk.
Role of water and tea in preventing strokes
Having more than 7 cups of water a day was linked with reduced chances of stroke caused by a clot.
Drinking tea reduced chances of stroke by 18-20%, as per the study by having 3-4 cups per day of black tea – including Breakfast and Earl Grey teas, but not green tea or herbal teas – was linked with a 29% lower chance of stroke. 3-4 cups per day of green tea was linked with a 27% lower chance of stroke.
