Green tea could help fight cancer
By Kelly Pendred
iCan News Service, contributor
February 27, 2002

(Cited from http://www.ican.com/)

Imagine a healthy brew straight from the teapot loaded with powerful cancer combating chemicals. Imagine this same brew reducing the pain of arthritis, even combating heart disease.

The promises of good health from green tea are many -- even though it has not been officially recognized as a medicinal agent. Recently great interest and discoveries have unfolded, possibly holding green tea responsible for a reduction in prostate and lung cancer in China and Japan.

As Americans have been slurping down double lattes, the Chinese and Japanese have been sipping the smooth, mild flavor of green tea. At the same time their health has also benefited, according to several studies. While Japan leads all developed countries with the highest smoking rate, it also has the lowest death rate for lung cancer.

A coincidence?

A result of other dietary factors?

Many researchers do not think so. Consider the following evidence: China, who leads the world in consumption of green tea, has the lowest death rate from prostate cancer. Japan, who follows China in green tea consumption, has the second lowest prostate cancer death rate. Furthermore, some studies suggest that the more green tea people drink, the lower their cancer risk. So drinking six cups of tea may produce much more benefit than drinking two cups of tea per day.

The power of green tea
The cancer combating power of green tea lies in little chemicals called polyphenols (or antioxidants). These chemicals are also found in fruits and vegetables but are believed to be more potent in green tea. In the body, polyphenols prevent our cells from combining with oxygen. Too much oxygen in our cells results in potentially dangerous chemicals called free radicals, which can damage body cells. Free radicals in great numbers are believed to be responsible for diseases such as cancer.

In one Mayo clinic study a particularly important polyphenol was found called EGCG. From this study, it was determined that EGCG inhibits the growth of prostrate cancer cells and in high concentrations destroys them. Another study by Japanese researchers showed that mice fed a green tea extract and then injected with a substance that causes cancer were less likely to grow more tumors than control animals.

Double latte or green tea?
Certainly, we should trade in our double lattes for a healthier brew of green tea. However, before you start gulping down six cups of green tea per day, consider the consequences. More five cups of green tea can cause insomnia, tremor and digestive problems. If you have a weak heart, renal disease or are prone to anxiety attacks, green tea should be avoided altogether. Women who are pregnant and nursing should also avoid green tea due to the caffeine content.

Certainly the results of these early studies are not just a tempest in a teapot. While more research needs to be done, especially on humans, the preliminary results look promising. If you're concerned about cancer prevention or good health, green tea would be a much better choice than a double latte. Not only does it have about half the caffeine content as a latte, but it provides powerful antioxidants as well.

Decaffeinated green tea is also available. Keep in mind that the research has concentrated on regular green tea alone and therefore the benefits of decaffeinated green tea has not yet been determined.

Whether or not you choose caffeinated or decaffeinated green tea, moderation is the key -- one or two cups per day should be fine. For now, the results are simply too premature to begin gulping down six cups of tea per day.