Green Tea Protects Against Prostate Cancer

I have written so many articles in favor of tea (both green and black) that you might think that I am secretly in the employ of the Tea Board! No such luck...but I will continue to preach the value of tea in improving one's health and warding off various diseases. (To clear up a question I received from one reader, I am talking about "regular" tea here, Camellia sinensis, and not herbal.) Tea is so commonly available and inexpensive that it is often overlooked by those who are trying to sell high-priced supplements. It is truly "that Excellent and by All Physicians approved China drink," as a text from 1658 once put it.

The latest tea discovery comes from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Scientists there gave an extract of green tea to mice that are prone to develop metastatic prostate cancer. The amount of green tea was the equivalent of six cups of green tea per day for humans. The results were striking.

As expected, 100 percent of the mice that received just plain water to drink developed metastatic prostate cancer. But among the mice that got tea to drink there was a significant delay in primary tumor incidence, a decrease in the weight of the prostate, an inhibition of harmful cancer growth factors, and a reduction in some of the markers of proliferating prostate cells. The most striking observation, said Dr. Sanjay Gupta and his Case Western colleagues, was that green tea resulted in "almost complete inhibition of distant site metastases." Furthermore, green tea consumption caused programmed death (apoptosis) of prostate cancer cells, "thereby causing the inhibition of prostate cancer development, progression, and metastasis...to distant organ sites"{Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, Vol. 98, Issue 18, 10350-10355, August 28, 2001}

...While Black Tea Protects Against Heart Disease

In another study, doctors gave patients with coronary artery disease either standard black tea (Camellia sinensis) or water to drink. Patients got about a quart (900 mL) of tea or water per day for four weeks. Both short- and long-term tea consumption improved the dilation of the brachial artery (a good thing), whereas consumption of water had no effect. An equivalent oral dose of caffeine (200 mg) also had no short-term effect on dilation...so it wasn't the caffeine doing it, it was the tea itself. Scientists concluded that black tea consumption reverses some of the dysfunction seen in patients with coronary artery disease. This finding helps explain the well-known association between tea intake and decreased cardiovascular disease {Circulation 2001;104:151-6}.

There is a general prejudice in health-food circles against all caffeinated beverages, lumping together coffee, tea and cola drinks. I am against cola drinks because I think that excess sugar (or artificial sweeteners) can be harmful. (See the following story for corroboration.) I think the greatest danger of coffee is that it keeps you from drinking tea. But it is absurd to oppose tea use, especially when decaffeinated teas are widely available in America. (In parts of Europe they are virtually unknown, as we discovered on our trip to Denmark this summer.) Caffeine can be harmful for people with various conditions, and so I generally urge people to drink decaffeinated tea.

There is no simple answer to the green tea-black tea dilemma. Green tea has been much more extensively studied in recent years and is in vogue. A quick search of Medline turns up three times as many articles on green tea and cancer (375 articles) vs. black tea and cancer (125 articles).

But this may not be because green tea is intrinsically more healthful. Unfermented green tea is chemically less complex and thus easier for scientists to study. It also offers greater commercial opportunities than black tea, which is so inexpensive that it's almost free!

I try to drink a quart of decaffeinated tea per day, divided between morning and afternoon sessions. I mainly drink black tea but I also drink some green tea, either by itself or mixed in with the black. It is a simple, inexpensive and healthful habit.

Diet and Ovarian Cancer Risk

What is the relationship between one's diet and the risk of developing ovarian cancer? A study from Milan, Italy has come up with some interesting correlations. Women with ovarian cancer were compared to similar women who had non-malignant gynecological problems. The cancer patients were more likely to eat lots of red meat, bread, soups and sugar. On the other hand, those who ate the most fish cut their risk in half. Lots of vegetables and pulses (peas and beans) were also protective. The study appeared this month in the International Journal of Cancer {Int J Cancer 2001;93:911-915}.

This study confirms what we have often said: a diet that is high in fish oils, antioxidants and fiber is protective against cancers of various kinds. Refined breads and sugar may increase the amount of insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I, which are promoters of the process of cancer formation. An excess of red meat (especially if charred) also can promote cancer in various ways. A moderate Mediterranean diet (fish, olive oil, cooked vegetables, whole grains and beans, salads, red wine, etc.) is probably the best overall way to ward off ovarian cancer and many other serious diseases as well.

Help with Treatment Decisions

In today's worldwide climate of uncertainty it becomes increasingly difficult for cancer patients to make intelligent treatment decisions. Nevertheless, world crisis or not, decisions have to be made. If you need help in making choices we can help. We not only have 209 reports on various cancer diagnoses, but I am now providing half-hour or one-hour phone consultations for my Moss Reports clients. Please call coordinator Diane Galbo at 800-980-1234 (718-636-4433) to find out more about how we can help you.

I know that some people have had trouble getting through. One problem was that the 800 number was being routed through New York City. We have changed that and now expect calls to the 800 number to go through normally. (The 718 number is also returning to normal.)

Till next week...Best wishes for your safety and good health!

Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.