Citrus Fruits and Juices May Lower Your Risk of Ovarian Cancer

When it comes to lowering your risk for ovarian cancer, you may want to include citrus fruits and juices in your diet. Scientists have found that women who consume foods containing flavonols and flavonones decrease their risk of developing epithelial ovarian cancer.

Flavonols and flavonons are both subclasses of dietary flavonoids. Flavonols can be found in tea, red wine, apples and grapes, while flavanones can be found in citrus fruit and juices.

"This is the first large-scale study looking into whether habitual intake of different flavonoids can reduce the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer," said Aedin Cassidy, the researcher who led the study, in a news release.

In this case, the scientists examined the dietary habits of 171,940 women between the ages of 25 and 55 for more than three decades. This revealed that flavonoids did indeed have an impact.

"We found that women who consume foods high in two sub-groups of powerful substances called flavonoids-flavonols and flavanones-had a significantly lower risk of developing epithelial ovarian cancer," said Cassidy. "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. In particular, just a couple of cups of black tea every day was associated with a 31 percent reduction in risk."

The findings reveal that incorporating these foods as a part of a healthy diet could reduce a woman's risk of cancer. This, in turn, may pave the way for future studies when it comes to understanding what compounds can be used to help women lower risk.

The findings are published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.