Drinking tea and orange juice could cut a woman’s risk of ovarian cancer by up to a third, claim researchers.
研究人員稱，常喝茶和橙汁能夠將女性患卵巢癌的風險降低至少三分之一。
A major 30-year study found that compounds in tea and citrus fruits could protect against the devastating disease.
一項長達30年的研究發現，茶和柑橘類水果中所含的復合物能夠有效預防卵巢癌這一可怕的疾病。
Ovarian cancer – known as the silent killer because women are often diagnosed too late for a cure – affects almost 7,000 women a year in the UK and kills more than 4,000.
卵巢癌被視為“隱形殺手”，因為大多數女性在被診斷出此病時都已經到了無法治愈的晚期。在英國每年患卵巢癌的女性約有7000人，而超過4000人因此喪命。
The University of East Anglia scientists, who studied the diets of 171,940 women aged 25 to 55 for more than three decades, found that those who ate foods high in the antioxidant compounds flavonoids – including tea, red wine, apples and citrus fruits – had a much lower risk of developing ovarian tumours.
英國東英吉利大學的科學家們30多年來研究了年齡在25歲-55歲之間的約17.1萬名女性的日常飲食，發現那些經常食用茶、紅酒、蘋果、柑橘類水果等這些富含抗氧化類物質類黃酮的食物的女性患卵巢癌的幾率較低。
The reduction was up to 31 per cent for tea drinkers and a fifth (21 per cent) for those drinking large amounts of citrus fruit juices, especially orange, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported.
根據《美國臨床營養雜志》的報告，常喝茶的女性可將患卵巢癌的幾率減少31%以上，而常喝柑橘類水果果汁尤其是橙汁的女性可將患癌幾率減少21%。
Lead researcher Professor Aedin Cassidy, from Norwich Medical School, said: ‘The main sources of these compounds include tea and citrus fruits and juices, which are readily incorporated into the diet, suggesting that simple changes in food intake could have an impact on reducing ovarian cancer risk.’ Flavonoids are thought to provide protection in several ways, such as by improving blood vessel function and preventing inflammation.
諾維奇醫學院的首席研究員愛婷·卡西迪教授說：“茶和橙汁等其中包含的這些化合物很容易從日常飲食中獲得，這表明在攝取食物時一些簡單的改變就能幫助降低患卵巢癌的風險。”類黃酮被認為能夠提升血管功能、預防炎癥，因此可以為身體提供保護。
Dr Simon Newman, head of research at Target Ovarian Cancer, said: ‘Whilst the causes and risks of ovarian cancer are complex, a healthy lifestyle with a good diet and regular exercise can reduce your risk slightly.’
卵巢癌研究人員西蒙·紐曼博士說：“雖然卵巢癌的引發原因比較復雜，但科學的飲食、有規律的體育鍛煉、健康的生活方式等都能在一定程度上降低患癌風險。”
Louise Bayne, of the charity Ovacome, said: ‘It is always welcome to see reports of how women might go about avoiding ovarian cancer. But the key in beating this disease is in identifying its symptoms early on...
來自慈善組織“Ovacome”的路易斯·拜恩說：“我們非常樂于看到有關女性如何預防或避免卵巢癌的報道。但是戰勝這種疾病的關鍵在于及早辨別出其早期的癥狀表現。”
‘Women also need to talk to their family to find out if there is a history of breast and ovarian cancer.’
“另外，女性也應該多與家人溝通，以了解所在家族中是否有人有過乳腺癌或卵巢癌的病史。”