We are always researching proven ways to try and avoid cancer. There are so many different ways cancer can wreak havoc on a body, from brain cancer, to lung cancer, to bone cancer. We don’t want any part of it! If there is one more thing we can implement in our daily regimen to keep this fiend at bay, we are all ears.
There are three amazing things that tea does to cancer:
- Starves cancer cells
- Kills cancer cells
- Blocks cancer cells
Wow! Do you think cancer likes tea? I don’t think so! We want to ingest what cancer does not like. And one thing is tea, especially GREEN TEA.
How does tea starve cancer cells? By restricting blood vessel growth. Cancer cells need many blood vessels in order to supply them with nutrients, in order to reproduce. Tea blocks the formation of these new blood vessels, so it starves them of nutrients.
How does tea kill cancer cells? Due to the antioxidant EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate), tea works as a free radical inside the cancer cell, causing cancer cells to self-destruct. That’s right – commit suicide. How great is that?! Green tea contains the most EGCG due to its low fermentation, and has been found to be over 100 times more effective in neutralizing free radicals then vitamin C, and 25 times more powerful than vitamin E. The EGCG in tea also does not harm surrounding healthy cells, which drugs such as Vioxx and Celebrex tend to do.
How does tea block cancer cells? By inhibiting the overproduction of an enzyme called COX-2 (cyclooxygenase) which is a cancer-causing enzyme that acts as a catalyst to cancer growth. In excess, this enzyme has been implicated as a factor in many diseases. Tea also blocks the enzyme DHFR (dihydrofolate reductase) which is yet another enzyme.
Theanine in tea also helps inhibit the growth of cancer tumors.
It has been noted that breast cancer tends to spread less rapidly on women who drink five or more cups of green tea a day. In fact, from brain cancer to leukemia, from lung cancer, to stomach cancer, colon cancer, and prostate cancer, cancer studies in regards to tea are indeed showing positive results.
What is equally interesting is the benefit of drinking tea for those on anti-cancer medications. Studies have found that theanine in tea increases the concentration of anti-cancer drugs in tumors, as well as reduces the concentration of anti-cancer drugs in other tissues where they are not needed. So tea helps improve the efficacy of cancer drugs which is great news. So for those who already have cancer and for those who want to prevent it, drinking tea daily is a must.
Another tip we thought was fascinating was the fact that the combination of green tea and turmeric together may be especially powerful against cancer. Green tea can triple the cancer fighting power of turmeric, and turmeric can increase green tea’s cancer fighting potency by up to eight times!
Next time you relax with a cup of tea, you can confidently exclaim, “Take THAT, cancer.”