Green tea for cancer prevention! Amazing scientifically proven effects

Introduction

Unfortunately, the leading cause of death among Japanese people is cancer.

Cancer is a disease that occurs when the genes of the cells in our body are damaged and the damage is not repaired, causing the cells to proliferate.

Our living environment contains various chemicals, ultraviolet rays, viruses, radiation, and other substances that can damage DNA.

However, cells have a natural mechanism for repairing damaged DNA, and most damage is quickly repaired.

Furthermore, in the unlikely event that the repair fails, the body has the ability to eliminate those cells.

However, in rare cases, the cells that are not repaired can survive in the body as mutated cells.

When substances that promote cancer growth are added to the damaged cells, they begin to proliferate abnormally, stimulating the damaged cells and turning them into cancer cells.

The mechanism by which Japanese tea ingredients prevent cancer

Ingredients contained in Japanese tea, such as catechins and vitamins A, C, and E, are thought to inhibit the following two processes that lead to the development of cancer.

1. Chemical substances or viruses damage genes, causing mutations that can lead to cancer.
2. The action of carcinogens promotes the transformation of cells into cancer.

1. Fighting against active oxygen: The antioxidant effects of Japanese tea

First of all, green tea is rich in vitamins A, C, and E, which neutralize the active oxygen generated in the body and prevent cell oxidation.

Reactive oxygen species are thought to be one of the causes of cancer because they damage genes and cause cells to age.

2. Catechins attack cancer cells

Next, catechin is expected to have the effect of suppressing the proliferation of cancer cells and even killing them.

Catechin has the effect of inhibiting the signal transduction necessary for the proliferation of cancer cells and inhibiting DNA synthesis in cancer cells. It is also thought to have the effect of inducing apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells.

3. Induction of apoptosis: Suicide of cancer cells

Apoptosis is a phenomenon in which cells choose to die.

When apoptosis occurs, the cell membrane changes and swells up like a balloon, then the genes inside the cell are broken down into small pieces and the whole cell is broken down into pieces. These pieces of the cell are then cleaned up by immune cells that protect our bodies.

A compound called catechin contained in green tea is thought to have the effect of inducing apoptosis in cancer cells.

In other words, catechin is expected to have the effect of reducing the number of cancer cells and suppressing cancer growth by encouraging cancer cells to "self-destruct."

Possibilities revealed by research

In animal experiments, the components contained in green tea have been shown to be effective in preventing cancer and suppressing its progression, and the mechanism behind this is gradually being elucidated.

Meanwhile, research is currently being actively conducted around the world to see whether similar effects can be expected in humans.

Further elucidation is expected regarding the anti-cancer effects of the components in green tea, and in the future, drinking green tea may be widely recognized as a means of cancer prevention.

Tea intake and cancer

According to the results of an epidemiological study conducted by the Saitama Cancer Center, interesting data has been found showing that people who drink more than 10 cups of green tea a day have a lower risk of death not only from heart disease but also from cancer.

In particular, the age at death from cancer was found to be approximately three years later for men and seven years later for women than for those who drank little or no tea.

This suggests that there is a close relationship between tea intake and cancer prevention effects. In other words, the more green tea you drink, the lower your risk of developing cancer.

As mentioned above, it is said that components contained in tea, such as catechins, have the effect of suppressing the proliferation of cancer cells and killing them. The results of this study provide data supporting the hypothesis that consuming green tea has the effect of suppressing the onset of cancer.

However, it is important to take into account that these survey results suggest that people who drink a lot of tea are more health conscious and may be leading healthy lifestyles in general, not just tea drinking.

Therefore, simply drinking a lot of green tea does not necessarily prevent cancer.

However, even taking these points into account, the results of this study provide valuable data supporting the idea that green tea is a healthy drink.

Tea-producing regions and geese

According to vital statistics from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, residents of Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan's main green tea producing region, have a very low cancer death rate compared to the national average.

This suggests that there may be a strong association between tea consumption and a lower risk of cancer.

Animal experiments have also shown that tea components, particularly catechins, have the effect of suppressing carcinogenesis in various organs, such as the stomach and small intestine.

Catechins have the ability to suppress the proliferation of cancer cells and even kill them, so it is thought that consuming tea may delay the onset of cancer and reduce the risk of developing cancer.

Based on these results, the view that compounds contained in tea, especially green tea, such as catechins, are effective in preventing cancer is becoming widespread.

However, there are not yet enough large-scale studies in humans, and further research is needed on the relationship between tea intake and cancer risk.

Eliminate Helicobacter pylori and protect your stomach

Helicobacter pylori is known to be one of the main causes of stomach cancer.

Long-term infection with Helicobacter pylori can cause chronic inflammation in the stomach, which can eventually lead to stomach cancer.

Traditionally, antibiotics have been used to eradicate Helicobacter pylori, but there were concerns about side effects and the development of resistant bacteria.

Therefore, research was conducted focusing on the catechins contained in green tea.

As a result, it was found that a catechin solution made by diluting green tea about 10 times had the effect of suppressing the growth of Helicobacter pylori. This suggests that the antibacterial properties of green tea are effective against Helicobacter pylori.

This means that drinking green tea on a daily basis may reduce the risk of gastritis and stomach cancer caused by Helicobacter pylori.

However, green tea alone cannot completely eradicate H. pylori. To prevent stomach cancer, it is important to take comprehensive measures, such as undergoing regular health checkups.

<Reference>
National Cancer Center, National Research and Development Agency "Development and evaluation of cancer prevention methods through lifestyle modification"