May 31/Washington/Asian News International (ANI) -- Drinking tea can decrease the risk of ovarian cancer, according to a new study.

"Our results indicate that drinking more than four cups a day of black, green or herbal tea may reduce ovarian cancer risk by almost 30%," said lead researcher Dr. Christina Nagle from Queensland Institute of Medical Research.

Nagle said that despite previous animal studies suggesting that tea can inhibit the growth of ovarian cancer cells, the results of human studies have been inconsistent.

"However, our findings support the idea that the antioxidants in tea may be beneficial against cancer in humans," Nagle said. His study surveyed approximately 2,700 Australian women (half with ovarian cancer and half without). Each woman was questioned about her diet and lifestyle, including tea-drinking habits.

"Green tea is thought to be the healthiest kind of tea. Although the results of our study did not show a stronger effect for green tea, combining all of the evidence worldwide suggests that drinking one or more cups green tea per day may reduce your risk of developing ovarian cancer by 40%. However this needs to be confirmed through further research," Nagle said.

The study is published in Cancer Causes Control.

From the June 7, 2010, Prepared Foods E-dition