Health Benefit of Green Tea: Cancer Prevention

There have already been numerous studies that prove that green tea helps protect drinkers against cancer. Statistics show that cancer rates are lower in countries where people regularly drink green tea. Research has shown that polyphenols are one source of the health benefit of green tea. Researchers believe that these substances found in green tea are influential in preventing the development of cancer.

Studies involving animal tests have shown that green tea reduces the formation of tumors for cancers of the skin, esophagus, bladder, pancreas, ovary cancer and prostate. The antioxidant activity in green tea has

been reported to produce such results. Researchers are also of the belief that polyphenols are essential in destroying cancerous cells and stopping their progression.

Skin Cancer

Scientific research suggests that the main polyphenol in green tea, which is called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and other green tea polyphenols possess anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. One study

has been done on the health benefit of green tea on the skin. The study showed that drinking tea helps prevent the onset and growth of skin tumors.

Esophageal Cancer

Animal studies have also been conducted and they showed that green tea polyphenols help stop the growth of esophageal cancer cells. However, studies done on people have various results regarding the health

benefit of green tea. One study showed that green tea consumption is an effective way to be protected from esophageal cancer, specifically among women. But another study showed that drinking green tea increased

the risk of developing esophageal cancer. This shows that before green tea can be recommended for esophageal cancer prevention, more research has to be done.

Bladder Cancer

A few studies have been conducted on the health benefit of green tea on the human bladder. Research has been done to determine if there’s a connection between bladder cancer and consumption of green tea. One

study revealed that women who drank green tea reduced their probability of developing bladder cancer. The study was followed with another one revealing that patients with bladder cancer, specifically men, who

consumed green tea had a significantly improved chance of surviving compared to those who did not drink tea.

Pancreatic Cancer

Research has also been done on the health benefit of green tea on the pancreas. A study found that men and women who drank green tea had lesser chances of developing cancer in the pancreas. However, the study

didn’t particularly point out that green tea was exclusively responsible for reducing the risk of pancreatic cancer. Researchers still need further studies before they can start recommending green tea for pancreatic

cancer prevention.

Ovarian Cancer

In China, a study was conducted on patients with ovarian cancer. It was observed that women who drank a cup of green tea a day were able to survive longer and lived the longest compared to women who did not drink

tea at all.

Prostate Cancer

Green tea extracts have been shown in laboratory studies to prevent the development of prostate cancer cells in test tubes. A large study showed that people who drank green tea with increasing frequency, quantity

and duration reduced their risk of developing prostate cancer.