A large-scale new Japanese study finds that a daily coffee habit could help lower your risk of stroke by as much as 20 percent. ©IMaster/shutterstock.com

Whether or not you reach for coffee or green tea, a new study finds that both can help cut the risk of suffering a stroke.

The 13-year study, published in the American Heart Association journal "Stroke," included 82,369 men and women in Japan.

In addition, the more green tea a person drank, the more it reduced the risk of stroke. People who drank at least one cup of coffee daily had about a 20 percent lower risk of stroke compared to those who rarely drank it.

Lead researcher Dr. Yoshihiro Kokubo, of the Department of Preventive Cardiology, National Cerebra and Cardiovascular Center in Osaka, Japan, credits green tea's catechins, which help regulate blood pressure and improve blood flow. Coffee's chlorogenic acid and quinides may reduce body weight and blood glucose tolerance.

Prior research has already shown caffeine may stimulate the central nervous system by increasing the activity of the brain chemical dopamine, which is linked with boosting creativity and impulsivity.

A study published last year also found that women who drink two or more cups of coffee a day are less likely to get depressed. While it's not clear why this happens, researchers say it may be linked to caffeine's effect on the brain's chemistry.

The findings, published in "Archives of Internal Medicine," come from a study of more than 50,000 US women. -- AFPRelaxnews

• The mind-body link in treating diseases
• Family upholds the spirit of adventure by scaling Mt Kinabalu
• Ibu Robin Lim advocates natural birth
• There’s no one like Dad
• Travelling opens the window of learning
• Elderly woman's approach to selling kaya catches attention of PJ diners
• Retirees venture into home-based food enterprises
• Monthly giveaway
• Looking for Malaysians with amazing stories
• Homemade spotty jars