The health benefits of green tea and coffee have been well recorded by medical and health researchers, particularly for the effect they can have on heart disease and cancer.

A study done in Japan now suggests both beverages can limit the consumer's chance of having a stroke. Scientists at Japan's National and Cardiovascular Center took a sample group of just over 83,000 Japanese adults over the age of 45 and studied their drinking habits over a 13-year time span.

At the conclusion of the study, the research team found that adults who drank at least one cup of coffee per day and those who drank four or more cups of green tea per day have a 20 percent less chance of having a stroke.

The lead author on the case, Japan's National and Cardiovascular Center's Yoshihiro Kokuba, said this study is unique to past related studies.

"This is the first large-scale study to examine the combined effects of both green tea and coffee on stroke risks. You may make a small but positive lifestyle change to help lower the risk of stroke by adding daily green tea to your diet," Kokuba said.

Researchers agree an antioxidant in green tea known as catechins, similar to those found in berries and red wine, can destroy bodily invaders that attack DNA causing blood clots. They also agree that ingredients found in coffee such as caffeine and chlorogenic acid can have a lasting effect on Type 2 diabetes, which in turn, can lower the risk of a stroke.

Research methods were modified to take into account the participant's sex, age and lifestyle factors that included weight, alcohol consumption and smoking. The study also found that both coffee and green tea drinkers are significantly more likely to exercise compared to non-drinkers.

This study was published in the American Heart Association's journal Stroke.