Fight Cancer with Green Tea

According to the World Health Organization, up to 70 percent of cancers are diet-related. And, over the past fifteen years, there has been growing interest in the role of specific foods and drinks in cancer prevention. One that has received particular attention is green tea— the popular beverage traditionally consumed in China and Japan. Can green tea really help you fight cancer? Let's find out. . .


Research has shown that drinking green tea halves the risk of a condition known as gastritis (stomach inflammation), believed to precede many cases of stomach cancer. This latest research supports existing evidence for green tea's cancer-protective effects. However, benefits do not end there: other studies suggest that drinking green tea may also protect against heart and liver disease.

Green tea is made by drying leaves harvested from the tea plant “Camellia sinensis.” This plant is rich in a class of substances known as polyphenols, which help to fight damaging molecules known as “free radicals,” believed to promote illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.

Green tea differs from black tea (the variety of tea predominantly consumed in Western countries) in that it is not fermented before drying. The fermentation process appears to reduce polyphenol content by nearly 90 percent, which is why green tea is believed to offer significant health benefits over black tea.

Green tea's chief antioxidant is a compound known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which appears to have the ability to suppress many different elements of the cancer-forming process. A recent study found that drinking more than ten cups of green tea a day significantly delayed cancer development, compared with drinking fewer than three cups a day. In women, cancer onset was delayed more than seven years, while men saw a more modest but still significant delay of more than three years.

To date, there have been over 30 studies that have examined the effect of consuming green tea on cancer risk. As with many areas of science, not all of these studies have been positive. However, the balance of evidence does suggest that green tea can help protect against several different forms of cancer, including those affecting the esophagus, colon, stomach, bladder, and pancreas. Green tea consumption was associated with lower levels of cholesterol and other unhealthy blood fats known as triglycerides. Additionally, green tea consumers also had higher levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol—the “good” cholesterol associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke.

Other studies published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry found green tea extract could protect cholesterol from damaging changes (oxidation) believed to contribute to its tendency to promote blockage of the body's arteries.

Although it has been mainly a drink of the East, green tea has recently become widely available in the United States, in many health food stores and supermarkets. However, it’s important to note that green tea contains stimulants such as caffeine in similar amounts to black tea. Excessive consumption of these may lead to digestive discomfort, nervousness and insomnia. To avoid the side effects, avoid drinking excessive amounts of green tea.

There is still much to be learned about the health effects of green tea, but there is mounting evidence to suggest that it does have significant health-giving properties.