There’s another reason to pour yourself a cup of antioxidant-rich green tea. Researchers in Japan say it can help prevent stomach cancer in women.

According to Reuters, the study out of the National Cancer Center in Tokyo found women who drank five or more cups of green tea each day were 20 percent less likely to develop the disease, even if they were smokers.

They say compounds in the tea fight bacteria that have been linked to stomach cancer.

Men, however, did not enjoy the cancer-fighting benefit of the drink.

Green tea has been shown to help to fight other forms of cancer – like breast, prostate, pancreatic and colorectal cancer – as well as heart disease. It may also be helpful in lowering cholesterol, burning fat and preventing diabetes, stroke and dementia.

"Taken altogether, the evidence certainly suggests that incorporating at least a few cups of green tea every day will positively affect your health," Dr. Diane McKay, a Tufts University scientist who studies antioxidants, tells WebMD. "It’s not going to cure anything and it shouldn’t be consumed as a drug, but it can complement the rest of the diet."

McKay suggests the best way to reap all the antioxidant benefits of green tea is to drink it, although green tea extract is available as a nutritional supplement for those who do not like to drink tea.