| One of the biggest health concerns most | | | | Each day, as we convert the foods we eat into |
| people have today is preventing cancer. | | | | energy, we create free radicals in our body. |
| Incidences of cancer and in the cancer | | | | These free radicals are oxygen containing |
| mortality rate in the United States have | | | | molecules that can damage our cells and our |
| risen each year for the last fifty. The | | | | DNA if we dont combat them. It is believed |
| age-adjusted cancer mortality rate in 1930 | | | | that unchecked free radicals contribute to |
| was 143 per 100,000 members of the | | | | the development of cancer. |
| population, but by 1990, it had risen to 174 | | | | |
| per 100,000 in 1990. | | | | Anti-oxidants are powerful free radical |
| | | | combatants. Fruits and vegetables are also |
| Medical technology has come along way in | | | | high in anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are |
| treating this insidious disease, but we still | | | | linked with preventing cancer, and a |
| dont appear to know a great deal about | | | | decreased risk of stroke, heart disease and |
| preventing many types of cancer. And, even | | | | lower blood cholesterol. |
| with the treatments that we do have, 300 | | | | |
| people in the United States die from cancer | | | | In addition to these anti-oxidants, all teas, |
| every single day. | | | | whether black, white or green contain |
| | | | calcium, magnesium, potassium and vitamins C |
| Many of our countrys deaths from cancer are | | | | and K. Green tea is also appears to be very |
| completely preventable. For example, about 90 | | | | good for your teeth. |
| percent of the one million skin cancers in | | | | |
| the United States that were diagnosed in 2005 | | | | As exciting as it is to think that green tea |
| could have been prevented by protection from | | | | may be helpful in preventing cancer; whats |
| sun. The American Cancer Society estimates | | | | even more exciting is that it may also be a |
| that in 2006 about 170,000 lives will be lost | | | | powerful treatment for cancer. In one recent |
| to cancer because of tobacco use, so these | | | | study by the School of Pharmaceutical |
| too are completely preventable. | | | | Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Japan*, |
| | | | research showed that green tea, when combined |
| However, there are many other cancers that we | | | | with the drug Adriamycin, was more effective |
| cannot prevent, in part because we dont know | | | | in treating a certain kind of ovarian sarcoma |
| what causes them. But, there may be a product | | | | (cancer of the ovaries) than using the |
| already in your cupboard that can help | | | | adriamycin alone. |
| prevent, or even treat, cancer. Over the past | | | | |
| several years, medical science has begun to | | | | In fact, the cancer cells in the rats in the |
| scientifically prove out what Asian culture | | | | study were not very responsive at all to the |
| seems to have known for years; tea, | | | | drug when it was administered alone; but when |
| particularly green tea is effective in | | | | administered along with the substance in tea |
| preserving health. | | | | called theanine, the rats became extremely |
| | | | responsive to the treatment. The rats showed |
| The Chinese have used green tea for centuries | | | | a much higher concentration of the drug in |
| to treat everything from headaches to | | | | their cancer cells when the drug was |
| depression. One of the most significant | | | | administered along with the theanine. |
| health benefits that green tea appears to | | | | |
| provide is prevention against certain types | | | | This combination of andriamycin and theanine |
| of cancer. But, the studies are getting even | | | | appears to inhibit the growth of tumors; |
| more promising. It looks as though green tea | | | | suggesting that cancer patients might be able |
| can be an effective treatment for certain | | | | to avoid progression of their tumors and |
| types of cancer, too. | | | | might be less susceptible to developing new |
| | | | tumors, when green tea substances are used in |
| Tea comes from the Camellia sinensis plant. | | | | conjunction with cancer drugs. |
| Therefore, what we refer to as herb tea is | | | | |
| not really tea at all, but rather an herbal | | | | This is, of course, very exciting news. |
| infusion. There are many different types of | | | | Cancer treatment typically has two facets. |
| tea; most of the differences come from the | | | | The first is killing the cancerous cells that |
| way the tea is processed. | | | | already exist in the body. The second is |
| | | | preventing new cancer cells from growing, |
| Tea leaves naturally contain catechins. | | | | both in the organ where the cancer |
| Catechins belong to the flavan-3-ol class of | | | | originated, and in other organs (metastasis). |
| flavonoids. EGCG is one of the many catechins | | | | |
| contained in tea, and is considered to be the | | | | If green tea can help with both aspects of |
| most powerful anti-oxidant in tea leaves. | | | | cancer treatment, as well as preventing |
| | | | cancer in the first place, we may be closer |
| Fermenting the tea leaves, which is part of | | | | than ever to dramatically reducing the |
| processing tea leaves for black tea, converts | | | | incidence of or even eradicating this |
| these catechins to other compounds and | | | | disease. Of course, far more research is |
| reduces their health benefits. Therefore, | | | | needed, but these results are promising, |
| green tea, because it is not fermented, | | | | indeed. |
| retains more of its original anti-oxidants | | | | |
| than black tea. Scientists have discovered | | | | School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University |
| that tea is healthy primarily because of | | | | of Shizuoka, Japan. |
| these anti-oxidants. | | | | d7210@mail.p.u-shizuoka-ken.ac. |
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