The Special Drink That May Naturally Stop Breast Cancer
As far as doctors are concerned, there really isn’t a way to prevent breast cancer–but evidence provided by Columbia University spins a different tale.
Testing a group of 40 women diagnosed with breast cancer, assistant professor Katherine D. Crew, M.D. analyzed the effects of Pollyphenon E, a natural extract derived from green tea–and the effects were startling.
“Women assigned to the extract had an average 10-fold increase in green tea metabolites compared with placebo,” reports Science Daily, who first reported these findings in 2012. ” In addition, they had a significant reduction in hepatocyte growth factor levels at two months compared with women assigned to placebo.”
It seems this innocuous green tea extract isn’t just great for a higher metabolism, according to Crew–it may also reduce the growth of tumors associated with breast cancer.
And if you’re at risk for this cancer, the news couldn’t be sweeter.
But is drinking a lot of green tea the answer? According to Crew, not necessarily so; it would be difficult to drink enough green tea to meet the criteria established in the study. However, some osteopaths speculate that a concentrated form of green tea, a type only found in green tea supplements, may provide the solution for worried women at risk.
“The results of these research works provide confirmation for drinking up to six cups of fresh brewed green tea daily or supplementing with up to 800 mg of a standardized green tea extract to protect against breast and prostate cancers,” says John Phillip, a certified nutritional consultant and contributor to Natural News.
It may be too early to recommend green tea as a way to prevent cancer, since the study was small. But green tea has already earned its health halo. Just this month, a University of California Los Angeles study found that men with prostate cancer who drank green tea had lower levels of inflammation, which is associated with prostate cancer growth.
Check out 5 more amazing things green tea can give you:
- A healthier heart. Green tea is packed with powerful antioxidants that may lower blood pressure. Squeeze in a lemon for an extra boost of vitamin C, which helps your body absorb the antioxidants.
- More power. Scientists found that when mice consumed green tea extract, their endurance increased by up to 24%.
- A slimmer bod. Catechins, the antioxidants present in green tea, are pros at blasting belly fat. And studies suggest that caffeine frees fatty acids so you can burn calories (and fat) more easily. Find out the magic number of cups to sip per day!
- Allergy relief. Japanese researchers found that the compound EGCG, another antioxidant compound abundant in green tea, might help strengthen your immunity against allergens like pet dander, pollen, and dust.
- A better memory. A recent Canadian study found that when snails are submerged in water infused with epicatechin, an antioxidant found in foods like chocolate and green tea, their memories improved significantly. (Curious how science measures the memory of a snail? We were, too.) Happily, the study author thinks the memory benefits extend to humans, too.
