New evidence suggests that drinking black tea and caffeinated coffee daily may be associated with a lower risk of endometrial cancer in women. Endometrial cancer affects the lining of the uterus and is most common among women who are between the ages of 60 and 70.
Researchers surveyed 1,100 women about their consumption of black tea, decaffeinated coffee and caffeinated coffee. Half of the women were diagnosed with endometrial cancer.
They found that women who drank more than four cups of coffee and tea daily were about 50 percent less likely to develop endometrial cancer. Women who drank more than two cups of black tea daily were about 44 percent less likely to develop the disease. Additionally, women who drank more than two cups of coffee daily were 29 percent less likely to develop cancer, although this trend was not statistically significant.
It is unclear how black tea and coffee may help prevent endometrial cancer. The authors suggest that the results may be attributed to caffeine because decaffeinated coffee was not linked to a decreased cancer risk.
Laboratory and animal studies report that components of black tea, such as polyphenols, have antioxidant properties and effects against tumors. However, effects in humans remain unclear.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19107932?dopt=Abstract
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I found some additional information that may be of interest, as well:
Coffee, tea, colas, and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer.
Song YJ, Kristal AR, Wicklund KG, Cushing-Haugen KL, Rossing MA.
April 30, 2009 - 5:09pmCancer Prevention Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, PO Box 19024, Seattle, WA 99109-1024, USA.
Associations of coffee, tea, and other caffeinated beverages with ovarian cancer risk remain uncertain. In a population-based study in Washington State, 781 women with epithelial ovarian cancer diagnosed in 2002 to 2005 and 1,263 controls completed self-administered questionnaires detailing consumption of caffeinated and noncaffeinated coffee, teas, and colas and in-person interviews regarding reproductive and hormonal exposures. We assessed risk associated with coffee, tea, and cola drinking and with total caffeine consumption using logistic regression to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Neither caffeinated nor decaffeinated coffees were associated with ovarian cancer risk; also, we observed no association of total caffeine with risk using a combined index that summed intake from coffee, tea, and carbonated soft drinks. Among teas, neither herbal/decaffeinated nor black teas were associated with risk; however, women who reported drinking >or=1 cup/d of green tea had a 54% reduction in risk (P trend = 0.01). Associations of green tea with risk were similar when invasive and borderline cases were considered separately and when Asian women were excluded from analysis. Green tea, which is commonly consumed in countries with low ovarian cancer incidence, should be further investigated for its cancer prevention properties.
PMID: 18349292 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine
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