Green tea has become the miracle drink of recent years. It is mentioned as a cure for everything from stomach trouble to fatigue, from rheumatoid arthritis to tooth decay. People in the Far East have been turning to green tea for various ailments for centuries, so it isn’t surprising that the beverage has become a popular remedy worldwide.

Perhaps the most interesting claim of fans of green tea is that it can be beneficial in the war against cancer. A 1994 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute showed that green tea lessened the risk of cancer of the esophagus in Chinese subjects by close to 60 percent. In addition, a study at the University of Purdue found that, because of its chemical makeup, green tea can also reduce the growth of cancer cells.

Green Tea’s Effects? More Than Skin-Deep

There is also evidence that green tea can be beneficial for your skin. In an article on “Green Tea and Skin” published in the Archives of Dermatology in the year 2000, Santosh K. Katiyar, Nihal Ahmad, and Hasan Mukhtar discussed how green tea could be effective in fighting skin cancer. Because of its composition, green tea can prevent inflammation and cancer in the skin.

Still, you might be wondering how this is possible. In the data examined by Katiyar, Ahmad, and Mukhtar, the polyphenolic compounds in green tea were tested and found to provide protection against cancer in mouse skin. In addition, some successful experiments were conducted on human skin in the lab. The analysis conducted by the authors shows that green tea polyphenols have cancer-fighting properties.

As a result, it appears that green tea could be used successfully in skin products to treat various skin disorders, which could help immensely in the battle against skin cancer. As Mukhtar stated, -Of all the antioxidants known to mankind, the components of green tea are the most potent.” Still, the authors caution that additional study is needed to fully explore the cancer-combating capabilities of green tea.

Why Green Tea is a Superior Disease-Fighter

Of course, you might be wondering why green tea might be effective against skin cancer, when other types of tea are not. While green, black, and oolong tea are all derived from the Camellia sinensis plant, green tea is processed in a way that helps to preserve its antioxidant nature. That’s because green tea leaves are steamed, preventing their cancer-fighting compounds from being oxidized. As a result, black and oolong teas are not nearly as effective in fighting disease.

Taking a Closer Look at Green Tea

It might be helpful at this point to take a closer look at green tea and its unique properties. Dr. Stephen Hsu, a scientist at the Medical College of Georgia, has done extensive research on green tea and its medicinal effects. Hsu has found that the compounds in green tea known as polyphenols destroy free radicals, which have been known to give rise to cancer because of changes they make in DNA. Essentially, the polyphenols kill cancer cells, while protecting healthy cells.

Hsu and his research team compared the growth of normal skin cells to the growth of cells that had been exposed to green tea polyphenol. The researchers were surprised to learn that the tea component rejuvenated dying skin cells. The reactivation was limited to the epidermis, or outer layer of the skin. Still, Hsu believes that the research will have a profound impact upon various skin conditions.

A Green-Tinged Fountain of Youth

In addition to combating cancer, green tea could be effective in treating a variety of other skin conditions, including ulcers, psoriasis, rosascea, and hard-to-heal wounds.

As a result of such research, some have referred to green tea as being a veritable ‘fountain of youth’ for the skin. While additional research is obviously necessary, the initial results are incredibly encouraging. In fact, Hsu has been working on developing skin products in which green tea plays a significant role. In this way, Hsu has found a way to apply his lab work to the cosmetic counter. It appears that green tea is particularly effective in protecting the skin from sun damage? a major contributing factor to skin cancer.

The Future of Green Tea

Given the public’s interest in alternative medicine, it would appear that green tea will be increasingly used as an agent for enhancing health. In fact, each year people turn to green tea for its therapeutic benefits. Research on green tea’s beneficial effects on the skin appears to be particularly promising. In fact, green tea may be revolutionary in its impact on skin treatments. Not only might it lead to younger-looking skin? it may also help to keep skin cancer at bay? which would be welcome news to the fair-skinned and anyone who has a history of skin cancer in their family.

Marcus Stout is President of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, http://www.goldenmoontea.com/greentea

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For several years now, we’ve been hearing about how green tea can prevent many serious diseases, including cancer. As the evidence mounts, it can be hard to ignore the fact that green tea is a powerful way to protect your health.

So, what is it about green tea that is creating so much attention? Well, it appears that the anti-oxidants in green tea are just as powerful as those in fruits and vegetables? possibly even more so. And, anti-oxidants are critical to preserving health and preventing disease.

As we convert the foods we eat into energy, we create free radicals in our body that can damage our cells and our DNA if left unchecked. It is believed that unchecked free radicals contribute to the development of many diseases, including cancer.

Anti-oxidants combat these free radicals so that they are not able to wreak such havoc on our bodies. Therefore, a diet rich in anti-oxidants is a great way to protect your health. Your best sources of anti-oxidants are fresh fruits, vegetables, and yes, green tea.

The research abounds to support the fact that green tea is healthy. Here are some examples.

Take a look in the March, 2004 issue of New Scientist Magazine. You’ll find numerous studies mentioned that suggest that green tea protects against many types of cancers, including lung, prostate and breast cancer. A study at Kyushu University in Japan showed that green tea slowed the growth of a certain type of human lung cancer cells.

Next, visit the US National Cancer Institute’s website and review their studies. You’ll find evidence that the anti-oxidants in green tea inhibited the growth of cancer cells and reduced the number and size of tumors in animals. You can view the press release on this study here: http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/tea

Check out the May 2002 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. This magazine describes a Chinese study that showed that men and women who have been lifelong tea drinkers have higher bone mineral density than those who are not tea drinkers. The study involved 497 Chinese men and 540 Chinese women over the age of 30 who were asked about how much tea they drink as well as about lifestyle factors. Of the 1,037 study participants, 48.4 percent were habitual, long-term tea drinkers. The researchers found that those who had been drinking tea habitually for six to 10 years had higher bone mineral density in the lumbar spine, and those who had been drinking tea regularly for more than 10 years had higher bone mineral density in all body sites measured than study participants who didn?t drink tea regularly.

This same magazine reported on another study in December of 2005 that suggested drinking just one cup a day of green or black tea may lower the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer in women by 24 percent. By drinking two or more cups each day, you can cut the risk by up to 48 percent. This study was conducted over a 15 year period by researchers at the Swedish Mammography Cohort.

It’s important to report that there appears to be virtually no evidence that suggests that anything about green tea is unhealthy. Even studies which can’t necessarily support green tea health claims show that green tea has no negative effects.

For example, a study conducted by Yoshitaka Tsubono, M.D., Yoshikazu Nishino, M.D., Shoko Komatsu, M.D., Chung-Cheng Hsieh, Sc.D., Seiki Kanemura, M.D., Ichiro Tsuji, M.D., Haruo Nakatsuka, Ph.D., Akira Fukao, M.D., Hiroshi Satoh, M.D., and Shigeru Hisamichi, M.D. could find no link between consumption of green tea and gastric cancer. The study did not find any increased protection among those who consistently drink green tea, but it also did not find any health risks associated with large green tea consumption.

So, in light of all the evidence, it seems that adding green tea to your diet is a wise choice. While we still need to do more research on the subject, there certainly is reason to believe that green tea is a powerful tool for protecting your health. In addition, there?s reason to believe that green tea’s effects may be more prevalent on certain types of cancers, and less prevalent on others.

And, even if it turns out that green tea doesn’t prevent serious diseases? there is compelling evidence that green tea is healthy. Green tea can support healthy teeth, and slows down the aging process, just as any other food rich in anti-oxidants. Plus, there is also research that suggests that green tea may speed up metabolism and help you maintain a healthy weight.

As you can see? you have nothing to lose. Even if green tea doesn’t make you live to an old age with no serious illnesses, it won’t hurt you. So, go make a cup of green tea. There’s little doubt that it will do something good for your body.

Marcus Stout is President of the Golden Moon Tea Company. For more information about tea, http://www.goldenmoontea.com/greentea