I pulled this information from a book, “The Little Book of Healthy Teas”, which my wife bought for me.
“When it comes to cancer prevention, green tea polyphenols have demonstrated the most significant results in animal and in vitro studies.”
“Researchers believe that there are three primary ways in which green tea works to prevent cancer. First, antioxidants stop free radicals from damaging healthy cells and tissue. [Second,] Green tea's polyphenols also prevent damaged cells from metastasizing (i.e. multiplying and spreading throughout the body). Finally, green tea may halt tumor growth. Scientists are also examining tea's efficacy as a supplement to cancer treatments.”
“Studies have shown that tea, particularly green tea, helps prevent many types of cancer (including esophageal, digestive system, colon, lung, prostate, breast, and skin) from developing. Epidemiological evidence shows that Japanese people living in the tea-producing area of Shizuoka, where it's common to drink an average of ten cups of green tea a day, have low cancer rates. ( Note: Japanese teacups are smaller than the six- to seven-ounce cups typically used in the United States.)”
This is pretty amazing stuff, and noticed the focus on green tea as opposed to oolong or black tea. Green tea has far more health benefits that oolong and black tea, so I urge you to try green tea.
Of course, even as the book mentions, cancer is a complex disease. Adding green tea to an already healthy diet and healthy lifestyle can assist your immune system with the task of keeping your body healthy. Here are some other claims mentioned in the book based on studies:
- EGCG in green tea blocks the mutation of cells, reducing cell damage; blocks tumor growth; and blocks the liver enzymes that convert pro-carcinogens (i.e., harmless substances in the body that can turn into cancer agents) into carcinogens.
- EGCG is green tea blocks enzymes that cause cancer cells to grow and it can destroy cancer cells with damaging surrounding healthy cells. Scientists also revealed that this effect is 10 to 100 times more potent in green tea than in black tea.
- Tea increases the blood's antioxidant capacity.
- Based on animal studies, tea may reduce the risk of lung cancer.
- EGCG kills cancer cells and, in particular, inhibits prostate cancer cells.
- Green tea has been shown to reduce damage to blood vessels in smokers.
- Green tea's polyphenols can boost white blood cells, and might be an effective supplement to chemotherapy and radiation treatments that impact bone marrow and lower white blood cell count.
- Men who drank two to three cups of tea a day reduced their risk of prostate cancer.
- Women who had a history of drinking five or more cups of green tea a day had fewer occurances of breast cancer and slower spread of the disease.
Those are some astonishing results that studies have shown. Hopefully the studies are correct. I tend to believe these claims and typically consume about 5 to 7 cups a day of green tea. I enjoy drinking a nice warm beverage throughout the day as it sooths me, and green tea just happened to be an ideal choice because 1) it has a small amount of caffeine that keeps me alert throughout the day, and 2) it has all these wonderful health benefits if you continue to drink it moderately but on a consistent daily basis.
The trick is finding good quality green tea at an affordable price. This is what my wife and I plan to provide at our online green tea store.
As always, please check with your doctor about the benefits of green tea for any ailments, illnesses, or diseases that you may have or wish to prevent. The information I have presented above is for educational purposes only. I, honestly, don't know if the claims found in the studies are accurate or not. I take it on faith.