Tea has been linked to numerous health benefits, from a reduced risk of heart attacks and high blood pressure to potential protection against certain cancers. Now, a study suggests that [d]rinking tea might change how DNA is expressed…In the new study, tea drinking for women was associated with epigenetic changes in 28 different gene regions known to interact with cancer or estrogen metabolism.
Coffee, on the other hand, was not associated with epigenetic changes—suggesting that while both beverages are rich in antioxidants and seem to have health benefits, they may affect the body in different ways. These changes were also not seen in men who drank tea.
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The study looked at DNA samples from more than 3,000 adults participating in several different studies across Europe.
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How—or even if—these changes are related to actual health outcomes is still uncertain. But lead author Weronica Ek, a researcher in the department of immunology, genetics and pathology at Uppsala University, points out that a number of studies have shown that tea consumption may play a role in suppressing tumor progression, decreasing inflammation and lowering estrogen levels in women. “These epigenetic changes might be indeed be one mechanism behind reported health effects,” she says
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