Another Fatal Cancer Faces the Green Tea Challenge
Prostate cancer is a very destructive one indeed. But it does
not escape the power of green tea, which studies have
found to influence the risk of getting the disease. That is
what this article is about, as well as green tea’s power
against oral precancerous lesions.
Prostate Cancer
The rate of prostate cancer is far lower among Chinese and
Japanese people, who regularly consume green tea. Six
cups a day could significantly reduce the development of
prostate cancer.
In a new study from Japan, nearly 50,000 men aged 40 to
69 years were followed from 1993 until 2004. It found that
green tea was associated with a decrease in the risk of
advanced prostate cancer. The more cups of green tea
consumed, the lower the risk. Similar results were obtained
from a southeast China study, which showed that the
prostate cancer risk decreased with the quantity, duration
and frequency of green tea consumption.
Now, it’s well established that about 30% of men with high-
grade prostate “intraepithelial neoplasia,” a tiny lesion that
can occur in the prostate, will develop prostate cancer in
one year. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study with 60
such patients were given three green tea catechins capsules,
each containing 200 mg (total of 600 mg per day).
In 30 patients treated with green tea catechins, only one
tumor was seen; whereas nine cancers were found in the 30
placebo-treated patients. This is the first study showing the
preventive effect of green tea in prostate cancer.
Oral Precancerous Lesions
In this study, 59 patients with oral precancerous lesions
were randomly assigned to three grams of mixed tea plus
topical treatment. It showed that these precancerous lesions
were significantly reduced in 38% of those treated with the
tea mixture. That compares to only 10% of the placebo
group.
This preliminary study provides evidence of the protective
effects of tea on oral cancer.
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