A cup of tea a day keeps the doctor away: Oolong tea extract can help prevent breast cancer, say researchers

Drinking tea may not be as fashionable as coffee, but its health benefits simply can’t be beat. There is nothing more comforting than a good cup of tea, especially when you aren’t feeling your best. A wide array of teas have been used for medicinal and healing purposes for eons, and new research continues to build on what many natural health practitioners have long since known: Tea is just as good for the body as it is for the soul. Recently published research shows that oolong tea, in particular, can help fight cancer — and it may even keep death from knocking on your door.

Oolong tea is a traditional Chinese tea, made from the same Camellia sinensis plant used for green and black teas. It contains benefits seen in both green and black teas, making it a uniquely potent beverage.

Oolong tea tackles cancer

Medical News Today reports that scientists at Saint Louis University have discovered oolong tea extract has an extraordinary quality: It kills breast cancer. The team recently published their study in the journal Anticancer Research.

Chunfa Huang, Ph.D., and associate research professor in the college’s department of internal medicine, led the investigation. Along with colleagues, Huang examined oolong tea’s effects on six different breast cancer cell lines — including ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-positive, and triple-negative cancers. Green tea, black tea and dark tea were also studied.

After finding that oolong tea was capable of destroying cancer cells, the team concluded it does “play an inhibitory role in breast cancer cell growth, proliferation, and tumorigenesis, and [it has] great potential as a chemopreventive agent against breast cancer.”

But the study didn’t end there. The team also analyzed annual cancer registry data from China and the Fujian province.

What they found was that in China, regular oolong tea drinkers had a 50 percent reduction in cancer risk compared to the the general population. And that’s not all: Those who drank the most oolong tea were also 68 percent less likely to die an early death.

“The lower incidence and mortality in regions with higher oolong tea consumption indicate that oolong tea has great potential for its anti-cancer properties,” Huang said.

“From our results oolong tea, much like green tea, plays a role in inhibiting breast cancer cell growth, proliferation, and tumor progression,” the researcher concluded further.

Other benefits of tea

There are many different types of tea, and each one has its own unique benefits. In addition to fighting cancer, some research shows oolong tea can also help prevent type 2 diabetes. Studies have also shown that drinking oolong tea regularly can improve heart healt, boost brain function and support weight loss efforts as well. Oolong tea is also rich in antioxidants and other beneficial plant nutrients.

But oolong tea isn’t the only tea with a wide array of health benefits. Green tea is one of the most widely studied teas, and researchers are finding new benefits all the time. One recently published study found that green tea is especially beneficial for overweight women. Regular green tea consumption was associated with improvements in blood lipid profiles and other biomarkers related to cholesterol levels.

White tea shares many of the same benefits of green tea, with some research suggesting it has an even higher concentration of polyphenols — valuable plant nutrients. White tea is also lower in caffeine. Across the board, research seems to conclude one thing: Tea is good for your health. But it can also be good for you soul. Studies also show that tea is good for promoting relaxation, creativity and general happiness.

Learn more about cancer prevention at Cancer.news.

Sources for this article include:

MedicalNewsToday.com

Healthline.com