More evidence that Green Tea blocks breast cancer
April
09,
2007
Researchers at the University of Leicester in the UK note that tea consumption
is associated with a reduced risk of developing breast cancer according to
epidemiological studies that are backed up by cellular studies and animal
research.
In this study the scientists gave mice Green Tea Catechins (GTC) and Black
Tea Theaflavins (BTT) in their drinkling water for their lifetime.
A group of mice were not given these tea polypohenols. These particular mice
are used specifically for breast cancer research because they dependibly develop
multiple cancerous tumors in their mamary tissue.
The results are important; the mice given 0.05% GTC and BTT in their drinking
water over their lifetime lived significantly longer and had much smaller
tumors. On microscopic examination the largest mamary tumor per mouse in the tea
consumers was 40%-42% smaller than those in non-supplemented mice. Giving GTC at
0.01% increased the activity of cancer killing Caspase 3 (a cancer cell
executioner) by 67%. Giving a higher dose of BTT at 0.05% also increased Caspase
3 activity by 38%. The study is published in the April 4th, 2007 issue of the
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.