Fight Leukemia with Green Tea

January 6, 2009

In 2005, we reported on the findings of researchers at the Mayo Clinic, which suggested that green tea halts leukemia. The researchers found that EGCG, the antioxidant green tea is known for, may kill leukemia cells by interrupting the communication signals they need to survive. The researchers also presented four case studies of people with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who had seen regression of their disease with the use of green tea extract.

Now, a new study supports the use of green tea against leukemia, this time from the prestigious Harvard School of Public Health. The study compared people who had leukemia with those who did not, and found that people aged 16 to 29 who drank the most green tea had less than half the risk of having leukemia as those who drank the least. Those drinking the most tea consumed 550 mg or more of EGCG-rich catechins a day, the equivalent of about 5 ½ cups. (Kuo, YC, et al. Cancer Causes Control. 2008 Aug 28.)

Leukemia isn’t a type of cancer we normally think of having any control over. The truth is, there are many types of leukemia, and probably many causes as well. Researchers have strong suspicions about four possible causes: natural or artificial ionizing radiation (radon or x-rays) , certain kinds of chemicals (petrochemicals, benzene, hair dyes), some viruses (HIV, HTLV-1 and -2), and certain rare genetic predispositions (a family history of Fanconi anemia). Your risk for CLL also goes up with age.

Besides fighing leukemia, green tea may also reduce your risk for ovarian cancer and other types of cancer, ease rheumatoid arthritis, lower cholesterol and prevent mental decline—the list goes on and on. If you have CLL, ask your doctor about adding green tea extract to your treatment. Be sure to use a high-quality, standardized extract to be sure that you are getting the amount of EGCG shown to be effective by this study.

The Anti-Aging Bottom Line: It’s likely that green tea offers protection from some of the risk factors for leukemia. One thing we know for sure: it never hurts to drink green tea or to take a green tea supplement. For the best protection, we recommend using a standardized green tea extract containing at least 70% EGCG on a daily basis.