Green Tea Cuts Ovarian Cancer Risk

April 30, 2008

A new study shows, once again, just how powerful an ally green tea can be in the prevention of cancer.

Women who drank one or more cups of green tea a day had a 54% reduced risk of developing ovarian cancer, one of the deadliest cancers of women. (Song, YJ et al Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers. Prev 2008;17(3):712-6.)

Green tea also protects against oral, esophageal, stomach, liver, colon, skin, lung, prostate and breast cancer. It contains a compound called EGCG which stops cancer cells from growing by binding with an enzyme, called dihydrofolate reductase. Interestingly, scientists have found that the structure of EGCG is very similar to a cancer drug called methotrexate. They discovered that EGCG kills cancer cells in the same way that the cancer drug does.

If ovarian cancer is a particular concern of yours, you’ll also want to take ginkgo supplements. A study showed that women who took ginkgo supplements for six months or longer had a 60% lower risk for ovarian cancer.

Other ways to cut your risk: eat a lower-fat diet, fatty fish, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. In one study, the strongest risk reduction was linked to carotenoid-rich raw carrots and lycopene-rich tomato sauce.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. But science has proven that there are natural ingredients out there that can help prevent cancer. Green tea’s EGCG is a powerful ally against ovarian and many other types of cancer. Ginkgo biloba is also a powerful anti-cancer supplement.