Green Tea Shown to Protect against Digestive Cancer

by Elizabeth Renter
February 25th, 2013 | Updated 02/25/2013 at 5:19 am

Green tea may offer the solution (or at least part of a solution) in the prevention of digestive cancers, according to another study out of China. Older women were analyzed for green tea consumption and cancer rates, and scientists found those who drank the tea on a regular basis were at a slightly lower risk for developing cancer of the colon, throat, and stomach.

The researchers followed nearly 70,000 Chinese women for a decade. Those who drank more than three cups of green tea daily were considered “regular” drinkers. And those women were at a reduced risk of digestive cancers—a 14 percent reduced risk.

Senior researcher Dr. Wei Zheng cautioned that the study doesn’t establish a “cause-and-effect” relationship. While the scientists did account for diet, exercise habits, and medical history, they say it’s impossible to account for everything.

Basically, it’s difficult to isolate the effects of a single food in any scientific trial. People eat other things, they may have different lifestyle habits, or they might be on prescription medications. They could get more sleep than other non-green-tea drinkers or simply take better care of themselves. >