Green Tea May Affect Lung Cancer Risk

Drinking green tea may reduce the risk of lung cancer in both smokers and nonsmokers, new research suggests. The study was done in Taiwan. It included 170 people with lung cancer and 340 healthy people. They were asked questions about their diet, tea drinking and smoking. They also were given gene tests. People with some variations in their genes are more likely to develop lung cancer than others. In the study, lung cancer risk was 13 times lower for smokers who drank at least one cup of green tea daily than for smokers who drank none. Nonsmokers’ risk of lung cancer was five times lower among tea drinkers. Tea drinkers with “low-risk” genes were even less likely to have lung cancer. Researchers said the best way to prevent lung cancer is to avoid smoking. The study was presented at a conference on lung cancer. HealthDay News wrote about it January 12.