Having Green Tea May Help Prevent Prostate Cancer

People have been aware of the many health benefits to drinking green tea for some time now. The tea is rich in antioxidants which is known to fight bacteria and also helps users to reduce weight.

However a recent study has revealed that the consumption of green tea can help prevent prostate cancer in men who are at a high risk of developing the condition.

The research led by Nagi Kumar was carried out by a team of scientists from the Moffit Cancer Center in the US.

Patients included in the study were given capsules that contained decaffeinated green tea called Polyphenon E. The medication also contained 'catechins' which has ability to stop cancer cell growth.

Forty nine patients were given the capsules while 48 other people were given placebos over a one year period.

At the end of the trial, the scientists discovered that people who were given the green tea capsules had significantly reduced prostate specific antigen levels (PSA).

PSA is generally considered as a biomarker by doctors and it along with risk factors are used while diagnosing patients for prostate cancer. Higher the PSA, the more likely the patient is to develop the disease.

In the study, the scientists also found that catechins helped to prevent the growth of tumors in animals.

The benefits of drinking green tea were further highlighted when the study pointed out that Asian countries where the beverage is regularly consumed, ranked among the countries with the lowest prostate cancer deaths in the world.