Older women who regularly drink green tea may have slightly lower risks of certain cancers than women who don't drink green tea, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (November 2012, Vol. 96:5, pp. 1056-1063).
Researchers from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and the Shanghai Cancer Institute used data from a long-running health study of more than 69,000 middle-aged and older Chinese women. More than 19,000 were considered regular green tea drinkers (at least three times per week).
After a mean follow-up period of 11 years, 1,255 women in the study developed a cancer of the digestive system. In general, the risks were somewhat lower when a woman drank green tea often and for a long time.
For example, women who said they'd regularly drank green tea for at least 20 years were 27% less likely than nondrinkers to develop any digestive system cancer. And they were 29% less likely to develop colorectal cancer, specifically.
The researchers found that of the more than 69,000 Chinese women followed for a decade, those who drank green tea at least three times a week were 14% less likely to develop colon, stomach, or esophageal cancers, Reuters reported.
None of the women smoked or drank alcohol regularly. And the researchers collected information on their diets, exercise habits, weight, and medical history. Even with those things factored in, women's tea habits remained linked to their cancer risks, the researchers noted.
