Sipping tea helps thwart nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Tea drinking has been established as a healthy habit, with its benefits extending to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) prevention, according to a study.

Conducted in southern China, the population-based case–control study looked at 2,441 histopathologically confirmed NPC patients and 2,546 controls. Researchers calculated mean daily ethanol (g/day) and tea intake (mL/day) and assessed its effect on the risk of NPC.

Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that compared with nonconsumption, alcohol intake overall exerted no negative influence on NPC risk in men (odds ratio [OR], 1.08, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.93–1.25), nor did heavy drinking (≥90 g/day ethanol vs none: OR, 1.32, 95 percent CI, 0.95–1.84) or former alcohol drinking.

Meanwhile, current tea drinking contributed to decreased NPC risk relative to nonconsumption (OR, 0.73, 95 percent CI, 0.64–0.84). Individuals in the low first three quintiles of mean daily current intake of tea were at significantly lower NPC risk (ORs, 0.53, 0.68, and 0.65, respectively), but not significant for the next two quintiles.

Current daily tea intake had a significant nonlinear dose–response association with NPC risk, according to restricted cubic spline analysis.

Additional studies are needed to establish biological mechanisms that may link tea with NPC risk.