Green Tea Forum

somedia · Uh, Can I Add Sugar? Joined: 26 Jun 2008 Posts: 8

The health concerns posed by tobacco smoking are surely no secret to anyone these days. What probably isn't so well known is that tea may help protect against lung cancer, 90 percent of which, according to some experts, can be attributed to smoking. For more information about lung cancer, look here.

Recently, cancer researchers at UCLA found that green and black tea might help protect smokers against lung cancer, as do certain fruits and vegetables. Results of the study were published in Cancer, a publication of the American Cancer Society. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the flavonoids in tea are thought to help guard against damage to tissues, which may lead to lung cancer.

Researchers examined the dietary habits of nearly 1,400 people with and without lung cancer and found that those who ate certain foods containing flavonoids were less likely to develop lung cancer. But they also cautioned that quitting smoking is by far the best protection against the disease.

A previous study by researchers in Hawaii also looked at the effects of flavonoids on lung cancer, though apparently not those specifically derived from tea. In 2003, researchers in India found that black tea protects against cigarette smoke-induced damage in guinea pigs. An earlier study by Korean researchers revealed that green tea had a chemopreventive effect in cigarette smokers while coffee apparently did not.

In an ongoing study, results of which will be announced in 2010, researchers at the University of Arizona-based Arizona Cancer Center are also trying to determine whether antioxidants in green tea may reduce the risk of lung cancer. The Southeastern Arizona Tea Study will look at ex-smokers aged 40 to 80, who will each drink green tea for a period of six months. cigarettes, tobacco

As already noted, the best defense against lung cancer is not to smoke at all, or, if it's too late for that, to quit. This, of course, is easier said than done. For some pointers on how to continue enjoying tea (and coffee) after you've made the break from tobacco, check out this article from the National Cancer Institute.