It seems that we can’t get enough of tea; statistics show that almost 80 percent of households in the United States drink it. But do you know what this popular beverage does once it passes our lips? New research sheds some light on how tea affects gene expression.

Share on Pinterest According to new research, drinking tea may lead to epigenetic changes in women.

Study leader Weronica Ek, of Uppsala University in Sweden, and colleagues found that drinking tea appears to trigger epigenetic changes in women that are associated with cancer and the metabolism of the hormone estrogen.

However, whether these epigenetic changes protect against cancer or drive the disease remain to be seen.

The researchers recently published their findings in the journal Human Molecular Genetics.

Epigenetics refers to the study of changes in gene expression that can be passed to future generations. It looks at how external factors, such as environment and lifestyle, affect which genes are switched on and off, and how this influences one’s own health and the health of offspring.

Previous research has shown that what we eat and drink can affect the expression of genes. One study published last year, for example, found that a typical Western diet may lead to epigenetic changes by altering gut bacteria.

For this latest study, Ek and colleagues set out to investigate whether consumption of tea and coffee – two of the most popular beverages in the U.S. – might lead to epigenetic changes in men and women.