Drinking hot tea with lemon peel could protect the body against skin cancer, US scientists say.
The researchers studied 470 people, half of whom had suffered a particular type of skin cancer, and querried them about their tea-drinking habits.
They found that those who developed skin cancer drank significantly less hot tea.Lemon peel in the tea was found to have more than a 70% reduced risk for skin squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), whereas black tea alone meant a 40% reduction.
These studies have also shown a protective effect of tea against sunburn which may lead to skin cancer
Researchers Iman Hakim and Robin Harris, of the University of Arizona, hope the study will help them develop food supplements to help prevent skin cancer.
