The Mom Column

With all the news about H1N1 and pneumonia I thought I would post this little tidbit about green tea and pneumonia.

A study published in the September 2009 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that Japanese woman who drank even a small amount of green tea had a lower risk of developing pneumonia, and get this, those who drank five or more cups a day may be cutting their risk by 47 percent.  The journal goes on to explain that drinking a single cup of green tea daily could cut the risk of dying from pneumonia by 41 percent. Researchers say that the compounds in green tea can destroy or inhibit the growth of viruses and other microorganisms that cause pneumonia.  It is also noted that this study was found to be true in women only, and not men.

I guess it is just another reason for us to be drinking green tea.

More details on this study can be found here.