NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Compounds in green tea may help protect women
against breast cancer, preliminary study findings suggest.
Investigators found that rats who drank water containing green tea had
reductions in the size and malignancy of breast tumors compared with rats that
drank only water. Additionally, the tumors of tea-drinking rats developed later
and were less invasive.
While more research needs to be conducted, the findings, coupled with
observations of lower rates of breast cancer in countries where green tea is
consumed daily, suggest that green tea may benefit women as part of an overall
healthy diet.
``I know of no major detrimental side effects when consuming 3 to 5 cups of
green tea per day. Thus, I see no problems in drinking green tea now for
prevention,'' Dr. Gail Sonenshein, the study's lead author, told Reuters Health.
Although data from animal studies cannot always be generalized to humans, the
findings ``suggest that green tea can be protective against breast cancer
induced by environmental carcinogens,'' added Sonenshein, a professor of
biochemistry at the Boston University School of Medicine and Public Health in
Massachusetts.
However, patients who are undergoing radiation or chemotherapy for breast
cancer should consult with their doctors before drinking large amounts of green
tea, she noted.
According to the report in the July issue of the Journal of Cellular
Biochemistry, polyphenols, compounds that are abundant in green tea, red wine
and olive oil, may protect against various types of cancer. Polyphenols are
potent antioxidants, compounds that help neutralize disease-causing free
radicals. These cell-damaging molecules occur naturally in the body and are
linked with heart disease, aging and a number of other disorders.
Dry green tea leaves, which are about 40% polyphenols by weight, may also
reduce the risk of cancer of the stomach, lung, colon, rectum, liver and
pancreas, study findings have suggested.
Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death among US women,
according to the American Cancer Society.
