New Research Suggests that Drinking Tea May Decrease Risk of Ovarian Cancer by Archives of Internal Medicine, December Issue
December 12, 2005 - Women who consume two or more cups of tea
daily over a period of time may lower their risk of ovarian cancer
by 46% compared with women who never or seldom consume tea,
according to new research published in the December issue of the
Archives of Internal Medicine. The study found that each additional
cup of tea consumed per day was associated with an 18% lower risk
of ovarian cancer in study participants. This is the most
comprehensive epidemiological study to show an association between
higher consumption of tea and lowered risk of ovarian cancer. "This
research calls attention, once again, to the potential role that
tea may play in disease prevention," says Joe Simrany, president of
the Tea Council of the U.S.A. "An abundance of research suggests
that tea may play a role in the reduction of risk of cardiovascular
disease and various types of cancer.
These new findings suggest that drinking tea regularly may help to
reduce the risk of ovarian cancer as well. This is good news and
points to yet another area where tea may have a positive effect on
health." The study, conducted by researchers at the National
Institute of Environmental medicine, Karolinska Institutet,
Stockholm, Sweden, examined the association between tea consumption
and risk of ovarian cancer, in 61,057 women 40 to 76 years of age
who were participants in the population-based Swedish Mammography
Cohort. Participants completed a validated 67-item food frequency
questionnaire at enrollment between 1987 and 1990 and were followed
for cancer incidence through December 2004. At baseline, 68% of the
participants reported drinking tea (primarily black tea) at least
once per month.
During 15.1 years of follow-up, 301 women were diagnosed as having
epithelial ovarian cancer. The researchers found tea consumption of
two or more cups of tea per day was significantly inversely
associated with risk of ovarian cancer. Specifically, a 46% lower
risk of ovarian cancer was found in women who drank 2 or more cups
of tea per day compared with non tea drinkers and each additional
cup of tea was associated with an 18% decreased risk of ovarian
cancer. The authors state that more research should be conducted in
this area to confirm these promising findings.
A multitude of research studies suggest that drinking tea should be
included as part of a healthy diet and may contribute to overall
health.
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