Drinking several cups of tea or coffee a day appears to protect against heart disease, a 13-year-long study from the Netherlands has found.

It adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting health benefits from the most popular hot drinks.

Those who drank more than six cups of tea a day cut their risk of heart disease by a third, the study of 40,000 people found.

Consuming between two to four coffees a day was also linked to a reduced risk.

While the protective effect ceased with more than four cups of coffee a day, even those who drank this much were no more likely to die of any cause, including stroke and cancer, than those who abstained.

The Dutch tend to drink coffee with a small amount of milk and black tea without. There have been conflicting reports as to whether milk substantially affects the polyphenols - believed to be the most beneficial substance in tea.

But the study in the Journal of the American Heart Association finds those who drank between two and four cups a day lowered the risk of the disease by 20%.

"It's basically a good news story for those who like tea and coffee. These drinks appear to offer benefits for the heart without raising the risk of dying from anything else," said Professor Yvonne van der Schouw, the lead researcher.

Ellen Mason, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "This study adds further weight to the evidence that drinking tea and coffee in moderation is not harmful for most people, and may even lower your risk of developing, or dying, from heart disease.

"However, it's worth remembering that leading a healthy overall lifestyle is the thing that really matters when it comes to keeping your heart in top condition.

"Having a cigarette with your coffee could completely cancel any benefits, while drinking lots of tea in front of the TV for hours on end without exercising is unlikely to offer your heart much protection at all."

INDIA as a producer of fine whisky might seem laughable to the average whisky drinker. Ireland, oh yes. Scotland, most definitely. But India?

Here is a heads up: Bangalore-based whisky brand Amrut Distilleries, which has been in the market for five years, has been wowing connoisseurs the world over with its single-malt whisky. People keen on finding out what Indian whisky is all about can taste it at the inaugural Whisky Live event on Monday at the Raffles Hotel.

Read more: $75 to taste 100 whiskies

(HealthDay News) -- The number of Americans age 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease will more than double in the next 40 years, and the cumulative costs of caring for them between now and 2050 will exceed $20 trillion, a new report from the Alzheimer's Association finds.

"We know that Alzheimer's disease is not just 'a little memory loss' -- it is a national crisis that grows worse by the day," Harry Johns, president and CEO of the Alzheimer's Association, said in a news release issued Wednesday.

"Alzheimer's not only poses a significant threat to millions of families, but also drives tremendous costs for government programs like Medicare and Medicaid," he said.

Read more: Alzheimer's Costs Could Explode by Mid-Century

The finding is considered to be preliminary but the identification of these markers -- labelled XIC -- could be important because this form of cancer is particularly difficult to treat, the study team notes.

"We are excited but cautious at the prospect that the presence of the XIC markers on [these types of] breast cancer cells may present a selective target for early detection imaging and for personalized therapy," Barbara K. Vonderhaar, scientist emeritus of the Mammary Biology and Tumorigenesis Laboratory at the National Cancer Institute, explained in a news release.

Read more: New Clues to Treating an Aggressive Breast Cancer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A drug approved to treat a range of conditions may also work to prevent lung cancer in people who have given up smoking, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.

The drug, called iloprost, is approved in inhaled forms to treat pulmonary hypertension, when blood pools near the lungs, a connective tissue disease called scleroderma and a nerve condition called Raynaud's phenomenon.

Dr. Robert Keith of the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center and colleagues tested an oral version to see if it might prevent lung cancer in smokers and former smokers.

Read more: Drug may prevent lung cancer, study finds