Green Tea powerfully protects the prostate from cancer and adding Lycopene improves this effect

April 18, 2007

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the developed world and is increasing in incidence in the developing world. Its long latency and geographical variation (some populations are less prone to dying from it) suggest the possibility of prevention or postponement by dietary modification.

In a case control study 130 prostate cancer patients were compared to 274 hospital controls. Increasing levels of consumption of Green Tea decreased the risk of prostate cancer. Green Teas protective effect was powerful decreasing the risk of developing prostate cancer by 86% after adjusting for the intake of fruits and vegetables and other factors. If the men consumed the highest quantity of Green Tea and also consumed Lycopene the protection was even greater. The study was performed at the School of Public Health, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia, and is published in the current issue of the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2007;16 Supplement.