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Tea can do a body good

New study examines possibility of tea reducing cancer risk

The popularity of tea has flourished over time - the roots of the drink dates back nearly 5,000 years to ancient China.

Tea has been used in political battles - such as the Boston Tea Party - and advancements have been made - such as the 1912 World's Fair in St. Louis, when iced tea was first introduced.

Whether people appreciate tea for its taste or as a political tool, a University of Arizona researcher has discovered a possible health benefit, especially for smokers.

Dr. Iman Hakim, a research assistant professor at the Arizona Cancer Center, is conducting a study to determine if there is a link between tea drinking and reducing the risk of lung cancer in smokers.

The health benefits of tea have already been proven in animal testing, Hakim said.

"(Potential tea benefits) apply to all people, but we are trying smokers because they are a high risk population," she said.

About 200 smokers who smoke at least 10 cigarettes per day will eventually participate in the ongoing three-year study.

"(Hakim and fellow researchers) hypothesize that regular tea consumption in smokers is associated with decreased oxidative DNA damage and that adherence to a regular pattern of tea consumption is feasible," Hakim's project proposal stated.

On average, smokers damage 20 to 50 percent more DNA than non-smokers.

Multiple sessions will be completed, each lasting four months, with 60 to 70 participants tested per year.

Two kinds of tea - black and green - are being studied. Subjects either drink one kind of tea or are given a control intervention.

To prepare for the study, participants are required to only drink water for a month prior to beginning the experiment. During that time, a blood profile is done on the participants to get preliminary DNA data.

Then, subjects are required to drink 32 ounces of tea per day for four months while continuing to smoke.

Hakim said while a decrease in cigarette smoking is common during the study, it is important that the subjects continue lighting up to see if improvements in DNA are related to tea consumption.

At the conclusion of the test, subjects must continue drinking tea for one month while blood and urine tests are taken and compared with the preliminary tests.

Jacqueline Berguim, who has smoked for 48 years, participated in the study.

"We had to write down how much we smoked each day and when we drank the tea," she said.

Berguim participated in an unrelated UA medical study last year but said the tea experiment intrigued her.

"The potential health benefits were part of the reason I participated, but I also enjoy volunteering," Berguim added.

Berguim did not regularly drink tea before the study but said she is hopeful that the study will yield positive results.

"If it's shown that tea could help me, I will drink tea the rest of my life," said Berguim.

While Hakim said she is hopeful that tea can reduce the risk of cancer, there is a more effective way to decrease the prospects of cancer.

"Quitting is definitely the best way to go," Hakim said.