Green Tea exhibits the ability to decrease the risk of developing a number of cancers. Current
research is focusing on the ability of Green Tea Polyphenols to actually fight existing cancers -
in other words more than just a preventative - actually part of the overall treatment. Actin is
a bodily chemical that allows cancer cells to remodel themselves and move or invade other tissue:
a dangerous process called metastasis. Researchers exposed bladder cells to a chemical that causes
bladder cancer and also exposed them to a Green Tea Extract. The Green Tea Extract rich in
polyphenols activated a cell protein called Rho. Rho regulates actin and inhibits actin's ability
to stimulate the development and progression of a cancerous tumor. This also blocks the spread of
the bladder cancer to other sites. The study was performed at UCLA and is published in the February
15th 2005 issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research.
Another Study Shows that Carotenoids Decrease the Risk of Prostate Cancer
In this study researchers compared the diet and other factors of patients with and without
prostate cancer. After factoring in the age, amount of fat in the diet, total intake of calories,
and family history of cancer(s) the scientists found that certain carotenoids and certain foods
decrease the risk of developing prostate cancer. The carotenoids natural lycopene, alpha-carotene,
beta-carotene ant the foods spinach, tomatoes, and citrus fruits all decreased the risk of
developing prostate cancer. The more a man consumed these carotenoids and these foods, the lower
their risk. The study was performed at Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Australia and is
published in the March 1st, 2005 issue of the International Journal of Cancer.
