The debate over whether drinking green tea is a good preventative measure against cancer continues to rage, with further research now coming out in its favour.
A new report in the journal Cancer Prevention Research suggests that drinking green tea could reduce the risk of oral (mouth) cancer.
Vassiliki Papadimitrakopoulo, from the University of Texas, said that while the results of the research showed no difference in oral cancer development overall between those who took green tea and those who did not, patients who presented with mild to moderate dysplasia took longer to develop full-blown cancer if they took green tea extract.
However, the scientist warned against recommendations that green tea could definitely prevent cancer.
'This is a phase II study with a very limited number of patients who took what would be the equivalent of drinking eight to ten cups of green tea every single day,' said Dr Papadimitrakopoulo.
'We cannot with certainty claim prevention benefits from a trial this size.'
But Dong Shin, from the Emory School of Medicine, said that the results were a step in the right direction.
'A clinical trial with a natural compound is no easy task, and these researchers have accomplished that,' he said.
'The lack of toxicity is also important because often when you give supplements at higher doses than what would occur naturally, you induce nausea and vomiting. That did not happen in this trial.'
However, the scientists cautioned against relying on green tea to definitively reduce the risk of cancer.