Consumption of antioxidant-rich beverages and risk for breast cancer in French women.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study is to evaluate the relation between antioxidant-rich beverages and the incidence of breast cancer.


METHODS
This prospective study consisted of 4396 women without a history of cancer who were participants in the French Supplémentation en Vitamines et Minéraux Antioxydants Study. Beverage consumption was estimated by using three nonconsecutive 24-hour recalls. Incident cancer cases were identified through clinical examinations performed every other year, including, e.g., a screening mammogram, and through a monthly health questionnaire.


RESULTS
During the median 6.6 years of follow-up, 95 breast cancers were diagnosed. In a multivariate model, an inverse association between herbal tea consumption and risk for breast cancer was observed (compared with nondrinkers, drinking 1 to 149 mL/d; relative risk [RR], 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48-1.80, and for > or =150 mL/d; RR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.20-0.94; p for trend = 0.04). Consumption of coffee, tea, fruit juices, or wine was not associated with risk for breast cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
Results of this study suggest that consumption of herbal tea may have a role in the prevention of breast cancer.
Hirvonen
Tero
T
UMR Institut Nationale de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unit 557/INRA Unit 1125, L'Institut Scientifique et Technique de la Nutrition et de l' Alimentation/Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris, France. tero.hirvonen@ktl.fi
Mennen
Louise I
LI
de Bree
Angelika
A
Castetbon
Katia
K
Galan
Pilar
P
Bertrais
Sandrine
S
Arnault
Nathalie
N
Hercberg
Serge
S
D000328:Adult; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001628:Beverages; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D002957:Citrus / Q000009:adverse effects; D003069:Coffee / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012306:Risk; D013662:Tea; D014920:Wine / Q000009:adverse effects
D000975:Antioxidants; D003069:Coffee; D013662:Tea