If you just can’t get enough green tea, you could be in luck. Researchers in Japan have linked heavy consumption of the drink with a decreased risk of hematologic cancers… those of the blood, bone marrow and lymph system.

The study, published in The American Journal of Epidemiology, followed nearly forty-two-thousand Japanese adults for nine years. Participants were selected from a group that filled out questionnaires, which included information on food use. None of the study participants had cancer before or at the time the study began, and all were between the ages of forty and seventy-nine.

During the study period, one-hundred-fifty-seven people developed hematologic cancer. But people who drank five cups or more of green tea each day had a substantially lower risk of developing hematologic cancer than those who drank less than one cup each day.

The scientists took into account factors such as gender, age, history of family diseases, overall health, smoking and alcohol consumption habits, occupation and education. Adjusting the results for these factors did not change the study outcome.

The study authors caution that more research is needed to understand the relationship between green tea and cancer. But other studies have shown positive results, too… linking drinking green tea with a lower risk of developing leukemia or non-Hodgkins lymphoma. The beverage contains antioxidants that catch harmful materials in the body that could lead to cancer, according to WebMD.

So try replacing your high-calorie lattes and sugary sodas with green tea. It might help you lead a healthier lifestyle, and at the very least, shed a few unwanted pounds.