Natural compounds in tea and citrus products have been associated with a lower risk of developing epithelial ovarian cancer, according to research from the University of East Anglia.

For the study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the research team examined the dietary habits of nearly 172,000 women aged between 25 and 55 for more than three decades. Researchers found that women who consumed food and drinks high in flavonols (in tea, red wine, apples, and grapes) and flavanones (in citrus fruit and juices) are less likely to develop the disease, the fifth-leading cause of cancer death among women.

Lead researcher Aedin Cassidy, from the Department of Nutrition at UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said: “In particular, just a couple of cups of black tea every day was associated with a 31 percent reduction in risk.”