Jonesing for a caffeine fix? Reach for some tea. A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that sipping tea regularly could slash your risk of certain digestive system cancers by up to 29%.
The Shanghai Women’s Health Study tracked the tea consumption and cancer rates of more than 69,000 non-drinking, non-smoking, middle-aged and older Japanese women during an 11-year span. Regular tea consumption, defined as at least three times a week for more than six months, was associated with a 17% reduced risk of all digestive cancers combined. “We can conclude that women who drink tea regularly may have a lower risk of developing some digestive system cancers, particularly colorectal and stomach/esophageal cancer,” says lead study author Sarah Nechuta, Ph.D., MPH, assistant professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University.
Better yet: The study found that drinking more tea contributed to an even lower risk. Women who sipped two to three cups a day had a 21% lower risk of digestive system cancers overall. And those who drank tea regularly for 20 years or more were 27% percent less likely to develop any digestive system cancer, and 29% less likely to develop colorectal cancer, in particular. “We observed the strongest reduction among long-term tea drinkers,” says Nechuta.
And while this study was observational (i.e., lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise were not controlled), and researchers didn’t investigate tea temperature, strength, or whether food or supplements containing tea extracts would have similar effects, the study did have implications for the most effective type of cancer-fighting tea, according to Nechuta. “As most women in our study drank green tea, our results suggest drinking green tea is associated with reduced risk of digestive system cancers,” she says.
So drink more green tea, but don’t stop there. Here are 12 more ways to reduce your cancer risk.
More from WH:
The Amazing Benefits of Green Tea
The Healthiest Drink of All Time
18 Self Checks Every Woman Should Do
