Can Green Tea Really Prevent Cancer?

A lot of information have been written about the powerful properties of green tea to prevent cancer but, Can Green Tea Really Prevent Cancer?

While this question will take a lot of time and research to be answered, the truth is that there is already some research and conclusions from scientists all over the world.

When someone in my family got cancer, I started to research about green tea and its properties digging into the information available about its supposed capabilities to prevent cancer.

We have heard about several natural remedies to prevent and even cure cancer but the truth is that cancer still is a pending task for scientists and all those alternative medicine experiences are not fully proved.

Certain laboratory studies have shown that green tea has an active component called EGCG which has been proved to have inhibited the development of cancer in cells. However there are not conclusive results in humans.

Some studies revealed by FDA conclude that is highly unlikely that green tea can reduce risk of breast cancer or prostate cancer.

However, other research made at University of Parma over a group of 32 men, proved that from a group of patients with high risk for prostate cancer, only one developed the disease when consuming green tea, while in the control group, the ones not having green tea, nine of them developed cancer.

Regardless these studies it has already been proved that green tea contain antioxidants which have a protective effect against cancer, just as much as any other food which contain antioxidants like wine, fruits or vegetables.

Healing effects of green tea have been recognized for thousands of years, since discovered by a legendary Chinese emperor and since then has been used for such reason.

In Switzerland, the University of Geneva conducted an experiment which showed that green tea raises metabolic rates and therefore speed up fat oxidation. While this characteristic could fit into weight loss, research have shown that lower fat levels reduce cancer risk, therefore making green tea and indirect cancer fighter.

While interest for green tea started because of the low levels of Prostate cancer in populations with large consumption of green tea like India, China and Japan, research made in Japan showed that green tea have no incidence in stomach cancer risk. People leaving this part of the world and consuming green tea often, are less likely to develop a tumor.

In conclusion, Green tea can prevent prostate cancer when risk is elevated, but it has not been proved if it can specifically fight cancer in any other way.

Because of its antioxidant properties, it is wise to drink green tea, regardless if it can or cannot prevent cancer.