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Green tea can save you from breast cancer
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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For many years, green tea has been the subject of medical and scientific research aimed at studying its antitumor properties. It is believed that catechins, a subgroup of polyphenols found in green tea, have powerful antioxidant properties and are able to prevent the growth of cancer cells.
An active component of green tea called polyphenon E helps reduce hepatocyte growth factors and vascular endothelial growth factors, which are biomarkers indicating the risk of cancer metastasis. This discovery was made by scientists from Columbia University Medical Center in New York.
“Many preclinical studies have implicated EGCG, a major component of green tea, as a cancer-fighting weapon, but this has not been confirmed,” said Dr. Catherine Crew, lead author of the study. “While our knowledge of green tea’s role in breast cancer prevention and treatment is limited, we can continue to build on our understanding of anti-cancer mechanisms.”
The study involved 40 women, half of whom took 400, 600, and 800 mg of polyphenon E twice daily for six months, while the other half took a placebo. During this period, the scientists analyzed blood and urine samples from all participants. The scientists found that taking polyphenon E affected a number of molecular pathways that are associated with tumor spread, growth, and metastasis.
According to experts, this is not enough to use green tea components in the treatment of breast cancer, but there is hope that further research will allow the development of treatment methods using the components of this drink. Breast cancer ranks first among all malignant tumors in women and, according to doctors, has a pronounced tendency to grow.
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