The health benefits of green tea have made it one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world.

A study found that it protects the cardiovascular system by significantly reducing unhealthy cholesterol, which contributes to plaque buildup in the arteries, the New York Post (NYP) reported.

Green tea is also rich in catechins, potent antioxidant flavonoids that limit the amount of cholesterol the body absorbs and protect against cellular damage, reducing the risk of chronic diseases,

including Type 2 diabetes, according to NYP.

Moreover, green tea contains high levels of polyphenols, another plant compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that help protect blood vessels and the heart.

Another study cited by NYP found that drinking green tea can reduce the risk of death from a heart attack or stroke by 26 percent. The study observed that 40,530 Japanese adults who consumed more than five cups of green tea daily had a lower risk of death from all causes except cancer, according to NYP.

Meanwhile, luck — or perhaps a miracle — may have saved a toddler from death in Arizona.

A police report on an accidental drowning, released recently, said the family of an 18-month-old child called authorities after finding the toddler face down in a swimming pool on 8 February, according to the BBC.

Police arrived at the home in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert at about 5 p.m. First responders performed life-saving measures before taking the child to Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where the toddler was pronounced dead an hour later.

A police officer’s body camera recorded Dr. Aryan Toosi declaring the child’s time of death at 6:20 p.m., the BBC reported.

However, a transporter from the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office arrived at the hospital five hours later and discovered that the child was breathing, according to the BBC.

The child was then flown to another hospital, where the toddler recovered and has since been released, the BBC reported. New studies highlight green tea’s heart-health benefits, while a remarkable medical incident in Arizona saw a toddler declared dead after a drowning accident later found alive, resulting in a full recovery.