Prostate cancer shows up in the news for having links with so many things that people are almost starting to lose count. Red meat is its most infamous link though, since the risk of prostate cancer is significantly increased when it is consumed excessively. Tea has had a good name so far, but its reputation is starting to taint lately.
Glasgow University has found out that heavy tea drinkers are at an increased risk to the disease. Men who consume over seven cups of tea a day are far more vulnerable to prostate cancer than men who drink three cups of less per day.
This came as a ‘surprise’ to the researchers, since tea drinkers are usually less likely to be overweight or have high cholesterol and tea is popularized as having great health benefits.
Dr. Kashif Shafique, who led the research, said: “I was surprised when we discovered there does seem to be a link. We found that with each cup of tea drank above seven cups, the bigger the risk of you catching the cancer. We don’t know whether tea itself is a risk factor or if tea drinkers are generally healthier and live to an older age when prostate cancer is more common anyway.”
Tea drinkers don’t need to go cold turkey though. The researchers have concluded that reducing the intake by one cup a day, the odds of getting prostate cancer are likely to go down. Also, a ray of hope in this bleak news for men fans of tea is that green tea helps prevent cancer. It’s the black tea that they need to be weary of.
Overall we suggest:
• Drink three or less cups of tea per day to stay on the safe side to avoid an increased risk
• Swap black tea for green tea. Green tea is not only known to prevent multiple types of cancer, but it also aids in losing weight and relieving stress.
• Moderation is the key for everything.
• Drinking tea is addictive and a habit that is hard to get rid of. Involve your family members in your plan of reducing tea consumption.
• Workplaces are a trigger for excessive consumption of beverages like tea and coffee. Limit yourself to a cup in the morning, afternoon and evening. Fill up on water in between these times to kill the cravings.
If you use moderation as your mantra, you should be just fine.
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