New research indicates that heavy tea drinkers are more likely to develop prostate cancer than the moderate and non-tea drinkers.

The Glasgow University team through analyzing more than 6,000 men aged between 21 and 75 found that those who drank more than seven cups of tea per day had a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer (about 50%) compared to those who drank no tea or less than four cups per day.

The recent findings run counter to previous research, which had suggested that drinking tea lowers the risk of developing cancer, heart disease, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease.

"We don't know whether tea itself is a risk factor or if tea drinkers are generally healthier and live to an older age when prostate cancer is more common anyway," said study leader Dr Kashif Shafique of Glasgow University's Institute of Health and Wellbeing.

"We found that heavy tea drinkers were more likely not to be overweight, be non alcohol-drinkers and have healthy cholesterol levels,” he added.

The study failed to compare the effects of black tea or green tea on increasing the risk of prostate cancer, nor it studied the preventive effects of green tea in the disease as mentioned in previous research.(Press TV)