People who drink green tea and coffee may have a reduced risk of suffering a stroke, a new study indicates.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted, depriving it of oxygen. As a result, some of the brain cells die and others are damaged. Every year, some 10,000 people in Ireland suffer a stroke and 2,000 people die as a result. Thousands more are left with stroke-related disabilities.

According to Japanese scientists, this is the first large scale study to investigate the combined effects of both of these drinks on the risk of stroke.

The study involved over 83,000 adults who were followed for an average of 13 years. All were aged between 45 and 74 and were free of heart disease and cancer at the beginning of the study.

The scientists found that people who consumed at least one cup of coffee per day had a 20% reduced risk of suffering a stroke compared to people who rarely drank the beverage.

Meanwhile, people who consumed at least four cups of green tea per day had a 20% reduced risk of suffering a stroke, while those who drank two to three cups had a 14% reduced risk.

Overall, the more coffee and green tea consumed, the lower the risk of stroke.

The results stood even when other factors were taken into account, such as age, gender, smoking and weight.

The scientists suggested that the ‘regular action of drinking (green) tea and coffee largely benefits cardiovascular health because it partly keeps blood clots from forming'.

However, they said that further research is needed to clarify how exactly these drinks reduce the risk.

Details of these findings are published in the journal, Stroke.