Drinking less than a cup of fermented (or black) tea a day may lower the risk for Parkinson’s disease (PD) as much as 71 percent, a new study of more than 63,257 Chinese men and women finds.

“Black tea, a caffeine-containing beverage, showed an inverse association with Parkinson’s disease risk that was not confounded by total caffeine intake or tobacco smoking,” study authors report.

Interestingly, green tea (the unfermented form that’s much higher in polyphenols) was not linked to lower risk for PD in this study, despite previous research showing its benefits.

If you prefer green, keep sipping: This antioxidant-rich tea, already reported to reduce the risk of numerous diseases, may support the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. A recent study found that green tea has antitumor effects in breast cancer cells, inhibiting growth of tumors as well as inducing the death of cancerous cells.

These results may help explain why the risk of breast cancer is lower in Asian countries where green tea is regularly consumed. [source: Taste for Life]