Several population-based clinical studies have shown that green tea helps protect against cancer. For example, cancer rates tend to be low in countries such as Japan where people regularly consume green tea. However, it is not possible to determine from these population-based studies whether green tea actually prevents cancer in people. Emerging clinical studies suggest that the polyphenols in green tea may play an important role in the prevention of cancer. Researchers also believe that polyphenols help kill cancerous cells and stop their progression.

Ovarian cancer. In a clinical study conducted on ovarian cancer patients in China, researchers found that women who drank at least one cup of green tea per day survived longer with the disease than those who didn’t drink green tea. In fact, those who drank the most tea, lived the longest. (more…)

Green tea comes from an eastern Asian shrub that has leathery, green leaves with beautiful, fragrant flowers. When the leaves of this shrub are dried and cured, the result is green tea. For more than 4,000 years, people in Asia have enjoyed the flavor and health benefits of green tea, which has now become a number one choice for people in other countries.

Interestingly, both green and black tea comes from the same shrub. The only difference is the way in which the leaves are processed. For instance, for black tea to be cultivated, the leaves are fermented whereas the leaves used for green tea are not.

Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. (more…)