Turns out having a cup of tea in the morning has a greater role than just making you fresh.
According to a new study based in Britain, certain compounds present in tea, red wine, apples, citrus fruits and grapes can protect you from the risk of developing ovarian cancer.
Ovaries are two small reproductive organs situated on the sides of the uterus that produces eggs and hormones oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
The women in the study, who regularly consumed foods and drinks rich in flavonols and flavanones, had lower risk of developing epithelial ovarian cancer than those who consumed these food items very rarely. Flavonols and flavanones are two subclasses of flavonoids, the antioxidants found in plants.
Ovarian epithelial cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute, is caused by the formation of malignant cells in the tissue covering ovary.
Ovarian cancer is the seventh most common types of cancer affecting women across the whole globe. Nearly 239,000 new cases of the deadly cancer were reported in 2012, according to the World Cancer Research Fund International. In India, about 4 percent of all cancers belong to ovarian cancer.
According to the new study, drinking just one or two cups of black tea reduced ovarian cancer risk by 31 percent.
Researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) reached the conclusion after closely following 171,940 women, for 30 years. Participants in the study were aged between 25 and 55.
"We found that women who consume foods high in two sub-groups of powerful substances called flavonoids – flavonols and flavanones – had a significantly lower risk of developing epithelial ovarian cancer," lead researcher Prof Aedin Cassidy, said in a news release. "In particular, just a couple of cups of black tea every day was associated with a 31 per cent reduction in risk."
The study has been reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Similar to the current study, a research out in June reported that drinking tea reduced breast cancer risk by 21 percent.
The flavonoids in black tea have also been known to benefit cardiovascular health. In another recent study, tea consumption was associated with considerable improvement in blood vessel function.
Studies have also linked tea intake to lowered risk of heart disease and improved circulation.
