Regularly drinking strong, hot black tea can prevent skin cancer.

According to a study from the University of Arizona in the United States, drinking strong, hot black tea can reduce the risk of developing squamous cell skin carcinoma. The American Cancer Society recently announced that after comparing 234 skin cancer patients who habitually drink tea with 216 tea drinkers without skin cancer, the University of Arizona College of Medicine obtained the above results. Both groups consumed the same amount of strong black tea, iced tea, and light black tea. Ultimately, it was found that the cancer-free group preferred stronger tea; they drank tea that was both strong and hot, typically steeping the tea leaves for 7 minutes before drinking, with the shortest steeping time being no less than 2 to 3 minutes.

The University of Arizona research team noted that this study does not entirely establish the relationship between tea and cancer, and there are many limiting factors in the research itself. However, the study did find that polyphenols in tea can hinder the expansion of cancer cells. The research also discovered that this chemical component in tea is easily lost in iced tea because, at low temperatures, they precipitate to the bottom of the container.