Regular Green Tea Consumption Helps Ward Off Breast Cancer

Regular green tea consumption is associated with a slightly lower risk of breast cancer, according to a study in Chinese women:* The study was intended to clarify the effects of green tea on breast cancer risk.

Participants in the Shanghai Breast Cancer Study included 3,454 newly diagnosed patients and 3,474 healthy controls selected from the general population and matched for age. Green tea consumption was reported during interviews.

Regular consumption of green tea, when compared with no consumption, was associated with a 12% lower risk of breast cancer after controlling for several variables that might also affect the relationship. The reduced risk was considered modest but was statistically significant for the overall group of women. Risk reduction was also about 12% in premenopausal and postmenopausal women analyzed separately.

Premenopausal women had a lower risk of breast cancer with increasing years of green tea consumption.

-Laura J. Ninger, ELS

* Shrubsole MJ, Lu W, Chen Z, et al. Drinking green tea modestly reduces breast cancer risk. J Nutr. 2009 Feb;139(2):310-6.

Aug 27, 2010