Tea May Cut Ovarian Cancer Risk
New research suggests drinking tea may help lower the risk of ovarian cancer.
The Early Show medical correspondent Dr. Emily Senay explains that most varieties of tea contain antioxidants, which are the ingredients in many healthy foods that are believed to protect cells from damage, and in theory ward off the development of cancer.
There have been conflicting results in studies so far about the specific benefits of drinking tea.
Previous results from the lab and in animals have suggested a cancer-protective effect from drinking both green and black tea.
Now, a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine suggests tea drinking may be helpful in preventing ovarian cancer.
Researchers in Sweden looked at tea consumption and ovarian cancer in more than 60 thousand women over a 15 year period. They found that women who drank two or more cups of tea a day had a 46 percent lower risk of ovarian cancer than those who didn't drink tea.
The risk was 24 percent lower for women who drank one cup of tea per day. Each additional daily cup of tea lowered the risk by 18 percent.
What's not clear from this study, Senay points out, is which type of tea is best. Sixty-eight percent of the women who took part reported drinking mainly black tea at least once a month, but the researchers didn't look specifically at the types of teas involved.
Previous research has suggested that green, black, and other teas all contain the antioxidants thought to be beneficial. Freshly-brewed tea is generally thought to contain more natural antioxidants than bottled or processed teas.
What about the role of coffee?
The cancer prevention results in the study didn't depend on lower coffee consumption among women with high tea consumption, Senay observes. Coffee was not associated with ovarian cancer risk in this study.
As for whether this means women should start drinking more tea, Senay says this study alone doesn't provide conclusive evidence that tea drinking was the sole reason for the reduction in ovarian cancer, and the findings will need more research for confirmation.
When it comes to different foods that contain antioxidants and other healthy ingredients, Senay notes, more and more experts are emphasizing a variety of healthy foods in the diet, rather than relying on so-called "superfoods" that promise to keep you healthy. Tea drinking isn't going to replace proper diet and exercise in lowering the risk of disease.