Tea leaves at the bottom of your cup really do reveal clues about your future.

See green leaves in your mug a couple of times a day? All signs point to long-term benefits for your ticker. Research shows that just two 8-ounce servings a day of polyphenol-rich green tea can dramatically reduce the risk of dying from heart disease and can cut the risk of stroke in women as well. Wondering what the future holds? Put your money on green tea, not fortune-tellers.

The polyphenols in green tea gobble up free radicals and improve artery function, both of which help keep diseases at bay. Drinking 16 ounces a day (about 500 milliliters) cut the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease by 26 percent in a recent study. And the more green tea people drank, the more protection they got. Although both men and women were shielded, the benefits were more pronounced in women.

Two cups a day isn't a lot, but even if you don't average that much green tea daily, don't give it up. Drinking at least half a cup (4 ounces) a day was linked to some reduction in mortality risk. So grab a teacup, point that pinkie, and drink to a healthy future.

Article courtesy of RealAge.com