Tea Blog

Thus far in these pages, we’ve reported on a number of studies suggesting that there is a link between tea and improved health. Among them are several studies that have examined tea’s affect on various types of cancer, including breast cancer and lung cancer.

Ovarian cancer isn’t nearly as well known as the types of cancer mentioned above, but it’s a serious matter even so. According to the National Cancer Institute, 21,550 new cases of ovarian cancer were reported in 2009 and 14,600 women died from the disease in that same year.

The fact that tea might have some benefits for ovarian cancer patients has been documented in several studies. One of these found that women with high consumption of dietary flavonoids could have a reduced risk for ovarian cancer. The data was taken from the Nurses’ Health Study, which looked at 66,384 participants. Foods with high flavonoid content include red wine, soybeans, fruits, vegetables – and tea.

A study by researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle discovered that herbal, decaffeinated, or black teas were not associated with a risk of ovarian cancer and women who drank green tea had a 54% lower risk of contracting this disease.

A study conducted at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, in Buffalo, New York, examined black tea and coffee consumption with regard to the risk of ovarian cancer. Study participants who drank two or more cups of black tea a day experienced a 30% decline in risk of ovarian cancer.

Australian researchers at the Curtin University of Technology concluded that “that increasing the consumption of green tea post-diagnosis may enhance epithelial ovarian cancer survival.” Findings were based on a study, conducted in China, that “comprised 254 patients recruited during 1999-2000 with histopathologically confirmed epithelial ovarian cancer and was followed up for a minimum of 3 years.”

Looking for more in-depth tea information? Check out William’s blog, Tea Guy Speaks!