. Earth Science News .
Green Tea Suggests Cancer Cure

Green tea fields.
by Eva A. Sylwester
Washington (UPI) July 19, 2005
New research reaffirms the potential value of green tea as a natural substance able to stop cancer before it starts.

"What we do in our conference every year is focus on what the scientists are talking about," said Jeffrey Prince, vice president for education and communications of the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Prince and others spoke at a news briefing at AICR's annual International Research Conference on Food, Nutrition and Cancer in Washington. He said this year's conference includes six separate presentations on the benefits of green tea - and no tea companies were involved in the research.

The AICR also released the "New American Plate Cookbook," featuring recipes designed to promote smaller portion sizes and increased consumption of fruits and vegetables.

"The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends a mostly plant-based diet to people concerned with reducing cancer risk," Prince said.

Many plant-based foods are rich in anti-oxidants, which limit damage to cells and tissues that toxins and pollutants cause by slowing the rate of certain chemical reactions.

The active ingredient in green tea is a compound called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, a stronger anti-oxidant than is contained in either vitamin C or E, according to an AICR fact sheet. Green tea is made from the same plant as black tea and oolong tea, but the leaves are not fermented during processing, which apparently preserves the plant's cancer-fighting compounds.

In a study using cancer cells in mice, Thomas Gasiewicz, a professor of environmental medicine at the University of Rochester in New York, found EGCG molecules bind to and inhibit the action of hsp90, a protein found disproportionately in cancer cells.

Hsp90 also is found in smaller amounts in healthy cells throughout the body, suggesting EGCG could curb cancer development in numerous organs.

"Based on the animal studies, it's hard for me to believe that, at least at some dose, (EGCG) would not have a protective effect in the human population," Gasiewicz told reporters.

According to an AICR fact sheet, epidemiological studies have been conducted, mostly in Asian populations, that link green-tea consumption with a lower incidence of many different cancers. Gasiewicz said more research is required to pinpoint the exact dosage of green tea that provides cancer protection.

The benefits of green tea are underutilized in the U.S. population, the AICR fact sheet said. A telephone survey conducted by the organization, only 15 percent of Americans said they drink green tea every day, compared to 62 percent who drink soft drinks every day and 61 percent who drink coffee daily.

"People who drink cola or coffee on a regular basis might consider substituting green tea for one of those servings," Prince said, adding that for people who avoid caffeine, decaffeinated green tea is also available.

The AICR fact sheet said green tea generally has one-half to one-third of the caffeine in black tea and one-third to one-fourth of the caffeine in coffee.

Maggie Sheen, a food writer and recipe developer for AICR, told United Press International that getting green tea into the American diet requires no more than a trip to the supermarket, where at least two or three brands usually are available.

Sheen suggested trying several brands to determine the best tasting variety, because green tea sometimes can seem bitter to the American tongue.

"We have such a sweet tooth and we're so used to putting sugar in everything that green tea is a shock to the palate," she said.

In contrast, average per-capita consumption of green tea in Japan and China is three to four 4 ounce cups per day.

In Japan, Sheen said, green tea is used as a flavoring in desserts, and the Japanese equivalent of "Grandma's chicken soup" is a porridge made from hot rice, leftover fish and green tea. She said she personally has experimented with adding green tea to foods such as cream cheese, pound cake and sorbet.

Prince said foods flavored with green tea may not provide all of the health benefits of a cup of the beverage, but nevertheless are worth a try and can help acclimate people to green tea's taste.

"The more you process plant foods, you lose some of the phytochemicals and some of the nutritional value," he noted.

Eva Sylwester is an intern for UPI Science News.

All rights reserved. � 2005 United Press International. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by United Press International.. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of United Press International.

Related Links
TerraDaily
Search TerraDaily
Subscribe To TerraDaily Express

Researchers Demonstrate Use Of Gold Nanoparticles For Cancer Detection
San Francisco CA (SPX) Jun 06, 2005
Binding gold nanoparticles to a specific antibody for cancer cells could make cancer detection much easier, say medical researchers from the University of California, San Francisco and Georgia Institute of Technology.



Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only














The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.