Free radicals damage cells and DNA and over time, contribute to the development of diseases like cancer. But, anti-oxidants keep the free radicals in check, so that they're not able to damage our bodies. Anti-oxidants are abundant in many sources, including fruits, vegetables, chocolate, red wine, coffee, tea and several vitamins. However, one of the most potent anti-oxidants you can find is the EGCG found in green tea. EGCG is more abundant in green tea than black tea because of the way that black tea is processed. Black tea is fermented, which virtually rids it of EGCG.
However, black tea does contain other anti-oxidants, but these do not
seem to be as effective at preventing cancer. EGCG and
other anti-oxidants in green tea have been shown to have significant ability to
slow the growth of cancer cells. One study showed that green tea prevented
breast cancer from spreading in patients who already had the disease. Another
showed that breast cancer patients who drank green tea had a significantly
lower risk of the recurrence of breast cancer than those who did not drink
green tea. In addition, studies have shown traditional chemotherapy treatments
to be more effective when administered along with green tea.
ROS are a
form of free radicals that cause prostate cell damage and that especially
contribute to the development of prostate cancer, when produced in excess. But,
the anti-oxidants contained in green tea have the ability to get at these free
radicals and eradicate them, preventing them from developing into cancer cells.
Green tea
has also been shown to be an effective preventer of lung cancer. Green tea
appears to cause apoptosis of abnormal lung cells. Apoptosis is the orderly
process of cell death. Green tea seems to help the body rid itself of
potentially harmful lung cells by inducing the process of apoptosis.
Green Tea |
Green tea
also seems to help prevent lung cancer by inhibiting the growth of the abnormal
lung cells. So, green tea keeps the cells from growing and spreading until the
apoptosis can kills the cells off. Other research has shown green tea to be
effective at preventing ovarian cancer, too. A study in Sweden reported that
women who consumed green tea showed a significantly lower risk of developing
ovarian cancer, and that the risk decreased as their tea consumption increased.
And,
green tea has been shown to prevent cancers of the digestive system. One study
concluded that the women who were regular tea drinkers had a significantly
lower risk of billiard tract cancer and gallbladder cancer than those who did
not drink green tea.
Green tea
has even been shown to be effective at preventing and treating skin cancer,
when given orally, or even applied topically. Topically applied green tea
extract scavenges abnormal skin cells, ridding the body of them before they can
mutate into cancer cells. Green tea also holds potential for preventing aging
and other skin problems when applied topically.
In short,
it appears that green tea is powerful when it comes to preventing abnormal cell
growth, which can be an important tool in preventing and treating many
proliferative diseases, like cancer.
So, as
you can see, green tea's anti-oxidants hold a wealth of power. They seem to be
able to scavenge abnormal cells and prevent the spread of cancerous cells. An
interesting report published by the UK Tea Council outlines the anti-oxidant
activity of green tea and how it appears to have a potent effect on abnormal
cell growth and spread.
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