The study was done in Arizona, which has some of the highest levels of skin cancer in the US. The large number of people who have suffered from skin cancer in Arizona provides a unique study group to investigate the factors affecting the development of skin cancer.
Four hundred and fifty people, half of whom had a particular kind of skin cancer during their lives (squamous cell skin cancer), were interviewed about their consumption of tea and citrus peel (commonly added to tea in North America). The survey showed that people who developed skin cancer drank significantly less hot tea than those healthy individuals. Furthermore, the consumption of tea with citrus peel seemed to offer additional protection against skin cancer.
This is the first large-scale clinical study to investigate the potential of tea and citrus peel to prevent the formation of skin cancer in humans. The researchers hope that this study may help develop food supplements that will complement skin cancer prevention strategies helping to save lives.
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