Green Tea reduces risk of oral cancer in women, study finds

Drinking five or more cups of green tea daily may reduce a woman's risk of mouth cancer. This is the latest news from Japan, according to research of almost 50,000 men and women over a 10 year period.

Oral cancer is a disease with a higher proportion of deaths per number of cases than breast, skin or cervical cancer, with a mortality rate of about 50 per cent due to late detection.

Green tea consumption has been associated with a wide range of health benefits, including lower risk of certain cancers, increased weight loss, improved heart health and protection against Alzheimer's disease.

After adjusting for potentially confounding factors such as age, smoking, and alcohol/dietary intake, this study found that consumption of the beverage had a 70 per cent associated risk reduction of oral cancer.

Interestingly, for men, there was no tendency for such protection.

While the Japanese population is unique in its long tradition of high consumption of green tea, this study is limited in terms of making no measure for the polyphenol content of the tea consumed. Polyphenols are beneficial antioxidants. Green tea contains about 30 and 40 per cent of water-extractable polyphenols while black tea (green tea that has been oxidised by fermentation) only contains between 3 and 10 per cent.

Healtheries have a Green Tea range offering 100 percent green tea, or green tea infused with lemon or mandarin to suit your palate. When drinking increased quantities for the purpose of wellness, these flavoured varieties may be easier to enjoy. Alternatively, Healtheires new Be Clean Tea is 100 per cent decaffeinated green tea, offering the health-giving virtues of antioxidant rich polyphenols, minus the stimulating effects of caffeine.