Drinking lots of coffee and tea reduces the risk of developing tumors in the the nervous system, according to the results of a recent study.
The study, the European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer and Nutrition, involved patients from 10 European countries and spanned a decade.
Focusing on potential risk factors for cancer, the study also included the results of several questionnaires about the participants’ medical history and lifestyle, including diet, exercise and smoking.
Some 350 patients developed glioma, a group of brain tumors that cause 80 percent of malignant cancers in adults, and 245 others were diagnosed with a benign tumor called meningioma, the authors say.
Those who drank more coffee or tea were a third less likely to develop glioma, considering factors such as age and smoking, they say.
According to experts, the outcome of this study increases the list of beneficial effects of drinking coffee and tea substances for preventing other cancers such as ovarian and liver.
Previous research by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden concluded that drinking at least two cups of tea a day reduces the risk of ovarian cancer by 46 percent over those who do not.