Green Tea May Slow Prostate Cancer Progression

by Susan Davis on 23/06/09 at 2:33 pm

Get to drinking tea boys

Preliminary results from a research study conducted at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport show that a chemical found in green tea appears to slow down the progression of prostate cancer, so men diagnosed with this condition may want to start drinking this ancient Chinese remedy with their meals.

The study, which was published in Cancer Prevention Research, reveals that the men, who took four capsules a day of the green tea extract EGCG, showed a significant reduction in the levels of several growth factors that promote prostate cancer.  There was also a considerable reduction in their prostate specific antigen, a marker of cancer growth.  All of the men in this study were scheduled for radical prostatectomies.

The capsules contained about 800 milligrams of EGCG, or the equivalent of 12 cups of regular strength, brewed green tea.

“There is reasonably good evidence that many cancers are preventable, and our studies using plant-derived substances support the idea that plant compounds found in a healthy diet can play a role in preventing cancer development and progression,” said Dr. James Cardelli, in a news release.  Cardelli is professor and director of basic and translational research in the Feist-Weiller Cancer Center at the LSU Health Sciences Center, and the lead author of the study.

Green tea is the second most popular drink in the world and is said to have positive effects on a wide range of conditions, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, weight control, rheumatoid arthritis and health disease.