NutritionDoc

Heading to the Beach? Along with the sunscreen and swimsuit, you might want to pack a thermos of iced tea.

 

A new study from Dartmouth Med School finds that folks who consumed at least one cup of tea daily were significantly less likely than their non tea drinking counterparts to develop basal celll and squamous cell carcinomas, the two most common form of skin cancer.

 

It has been suggested in other studies that the antioxidants in tea, called polyphenols,may limit the damage that moderate UV radiation inflicts on the skin.

 

But do not forgo the sunscreen thinking a cup of tea will protect you. Sunscreen and using common sense in limiting sun exposure are still your best first lines of defense in preventing skin cancers.  Still, in addition to slathering on the sunscreen, slugging down an iced tea may be more than refreshing - the boost of healthy antioxidants may provide protective benefits that go, well, skin-deep.