Study: Green Tea May Significantly Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

Drinking green tea appears to significantly reduce the risk of breast cancer among Asian-American women, according to researchers at the University of Southern California.

Reporting in the International Journal of Cancer, the researchers said they found no association between drinking black tea and breast cancer risk, but that green was beneficial, particularly for women who consumed low amounts of soy.

In their study, the researchers compared 501 Asian-American women with breast cancer and 594 matched controls.

"Compared to women who did not drink tea (either black or green) regularly, risk of breast cancer was lowest among those who drank green tea only, intermediate among those who drank both green and black tea, and unchanged among those who drank black tea only." the researchers reported.

Both green tea and soy intake were significantly and independently protective against breast cancer, the researchers found, but the beneficial effect of green tea was primarily observed among those who consumed low levels of soy.

"In conclusion, our study shows that green tea may act as a chemopreventive agent against breast cancer development," the researchers reported.

Other Sources: International Journal of Cancer