Women under 50 that are regular tea drinkers are less likely to develop breast cancer. However, tea offers no protection against the disease to older women, according to a report published in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention.

The study, which was conducted by the Moffitt Cancer Centre in Tampa, Florida, looked at the medical histories and lifestyles 5,000 women aged between 20 and 74 who had been treated for breast cancer and compared those with a similar group of breast cancer-free women.

The results indicated that women under 50 who drink three cups or more a day were 37% less likely to have tumors than those that don't drink tea. The benefits were even greater when it came to 'lobular' breast cancer, which affects one in ten breast cancer sufferers, with tea reducing the risk by 66%.

'Regular tea consumption, particularly at moderately high levels, might reduce breast cancer risk in younger women.

"Given that tea is the most common beverage consumed in the world, it makes an attractive candidate for breast cancer prevention," the report said.