Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. One in two people who spend their life in Australia will develop some form of skin cancer (Cancer Council of Australia).
Unprotected exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or other sources such as tanning machines in
solariums remains the most important risk factor for skin cancer.
Sun protection measures including protective clothing, use of sunscreen and staying out of the sun in the middle of the day remain key to preventing skin cancer. However, research into the effects of tea drinking on UV skin
damage is emerging.
While there is no conclusive evidence that drinking tea can provide protection from exposure to the sun, one population-based study conducted by the University of Arizona suggested that participants who drank iced black tea and citrus peel had a 42 percent reduced risk of skin cancer (52).
A further study published in the Journal Clinical Cancer Research, indicated treating human skin with green tea polyphenols prior to UV exposure inhibited indicators of DNA damage, thus inhibiting photocarcinogenesis, or UV-induced skin cancer (51).