Although the factors which contribute to the development of different forms of cancer are increasing at an alarming rate, there are rather simple and accessible ways of protecting ourselves.

A team of researchers from an institute in Stockholm have shown that women who drink at least two cups of tea daily are better protected against ovarian cancer.

In the study which involved 61,057 women with ages ranging from 40 to 76 years, Susanna C. Larsson and Alicja Wolk examined the association between tea consumption and the risk of ovarian cancer.

"We observed a 46 percent lower risk of ovarian cancer in women who drank two or more cups of tea per day compared with non-drinkers," the two researchers said. "Each additional cup of tea per day was associated with an 18 percent lower risk of ovarian cancer. This association does not depend on lower coffee consumption among women with high tea consumption; coffee is not associated with ovarian cancer risk in this cohort," they added.

According to previous studies, tea also reduces the risk of heart attacks, improves blood vessel function, reduces risk of colorectal and skin cancers and inhibits the bacteria that cause bad breath.

"This research calls attention once again to the potential role that tea may play in disease prevention. An abundance of research suggests that tea may play a role in the reduction of risk of cardiovascular disease and various types of cancer. These new findings suggest that drinking tea regularly may help to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer as well," Joe Simrany, president of the Tea Council of the U.S.A., said.