Prostate Cancer Prevention Research Green Tea Studies
This is Part 2 of a 3-part series.
Prostate cancer prevention research studies
Reducing the risk of cancers (called chemoprevention) is a hot new area of research. Prostate cancer can take decades to develop and that presents a unique opportunity for men to learn new health strategies that may reduce their risk.
Several areas of research include positive lifestyle changes, dietary changes, and daily green tea.
Green tea shows powerful results
Two studies in prostate cancer prevention research show powerful reduction of prostate cancer risk with daily green tea.
In one study, researchers from Australia studied prostate cancer patients in Hangzhou, China. In a hospital-based case-control study, they found that drinking green tea reduced the risk of prostate cancer at least 72%, after adjusting for age, location, education, income, exercise, BMI, alcohol, smoking, dietary fat, marital status, children, vasectomy, and family history.
An extensive questionnaire revealed several subsets of green tea drinkers showing more protection with increased usage:
Drinking more than 3 cups daily reduced the risk of cancers by 73%
Drinking green tea for more than 40 years reduced the risk of cancers by 82%
Using more than 3 pounds loose green tea leaf annually reduced the risk of prostate cancer by 91% (Jian Le et al, Protective effect of green tea against prostate cancer: A case-control study in southeast China, International Journal of Cancer p 130-135, January 2004)
For one year, half the volunteers received 3 capsules green tea daily and the other half received placebo.
At the end of the year, only one man in the green tea group had developed a tumor compared to nine men with tumors in the placebo group.
The results were statistically significant and showed 90% reduced risk of prostate cancer in high-risk men. (Bettuzzi S et al, Chemoprevention of Human Prostate Cancer by Oral Administration of Green Tea Catechins in Volunteers with High-Grade Prostate Intraepithelial Neoplasia: A Preliminary Report from a One-Year Proof-of-Principle Study, Cancer Research, January 2006)
Both studies showed no side effects with daily green tea.
An easy lifestyle addition
While green tea and other lifestyle dietary changes like a low-fat diet are still considered alternative choices, the prostate cancer prevention research on green tea is strong.
Almost 80 studies show that green tea stops prostate cancer through various mechanisms including apoptosis (cancer cell death), preventing cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis, preventing cancer cell adhesion, inhibiting COX-2 in hormone prostate cancer, protecting DNA, protecting normal cells, preventing inflammation, relieving urinary tract symptoms, and relieving benign prostate hyperplasia. Please note: green tea has not been shown to be effective in any terminal-stage cancer.
Adding daily green tea is a safe and inexpensive lifestyle addition for most men, but you should always discuss lifestyle changes with your health care provider.
All men should take advantage of regular prostate cancer testing.
If you are in a high risk group, such as African-American men who have the highest rates of prostate cancer in the world, are over age 55, or have a relative with prostate cancer, regular checkups can save your life.
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