Saturday, August 1, 2009

Green Tea May Help Fight Prostate Cancer

Men may benefit from drinking green tea. The active compounds found in green tea may help slow the progression of prostate cancer. Now, I know what you’re thinking, drinking tea is not really a macho male activity. But as turns out, it may help them stave off prostate cancer.

We here at Tea In Your Life have long been aware of the many health benefits of drinking green tea. And now, researchers have found yet another benefit. Researchers at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport found that the polyphenols found in green tea lower levels of three proteins that help tumors grow and spread. Polyphenols have anti-oxidant properties, as we have reported before.

Twenty-six patients, ranging in age from 41 to 68, were given four capsules daily containing green tea extract. The capsules were equivalent to drinking 12 cups a day for a month. At the end of the trial, the patients saw a significant drop in the levels of the dangerous proteins in their blood.

With prostate cancer taking the lives of more than 27,000 men each year, and more than 192,000 new cases of prostate cancer being report every year, it makes sense to try and defend your body with a little green tea. Approximately 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. It is the second leading cause of cancer death in men after lung cancer. And it seems that men over the age of 50 are at risk of getting prostate cancer and their risk increase even more with age. About two thirds of the diagnosed cases are in men over the age of 65.

Being a male myself, I have to be concerned with this. It not something I want to have to deal with. Life throws so many other things at you. It is one of the most survivable forms of cancer if it is diagnosed early enough. I am checked periodically myself. So far, so good. But I also drink green tea. Actually I drink other kinds of tea too, but I drink green tea the most. I also take green tea capsules. But after reporting on the many benefits of green tea, this now included, I believe in it.

Now green tea capsules are not the same as drinking a cup of tea so it may be that men can retain their manly ego by simply taking the capsules. But personally, I still enjoy drinking a cup or two of green tea every day.