Dartmouth study suggests tea-drinking can lower risk of developing skin cancer

Hanover, N.H. - Results of a Dartmouth Medical School study suggest that drinking two cups of tea daily can lower the risk of developing skin cancer, BBC News reports.

The study, published in a recent issue of the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, compared the tea-drinking habits of 1,400 skin cancer patients with the habits of 700 patients who had not developed the disease. Researchers asked the subjects about diet, lifestyle and their consumption of green and black teas, both of which are rich in antioxidants that have been shown to prevent the development of cancer cells in animals.

The collected data revealed that subjects who drank two or more cups a day had a 65 percent lower risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma. Tea-drinking also appeared to protect against basal cell carcinoma, but to a lesser degree.

The researchers write that further research into the protective effects of tea could lead to a better understanding of how cancer develops.