Green tea is produced by lightly steaming the fresh-cut black tea leaf; to produce black tea, the leaves are oxidized.
During oxidation many of the polyphenol substances compounds with potent antioxidant and anticancer properties, are destroyed. Unlike black tea, green tea is very high in polyphenols.
The anticancer effects are the result of the green tea polyphenols blocking the formation of cancer-causing compounds as well as effectively detoxifying or trapping cancer-causing chemicals.
Consumption of green tea is associated with improved prognosis of patients with breasts cancer.
Green tea is widely consumed in Japan, which historically has had a low incidence of breasts cancer, but is also popular elsewhere.
When a study was done to identify the specific contribution of black tea and green tea to breast cancer risk, green tea drinkers showed a significant reduced risk of breast cancer, while black tea drinkers did not enjoy this benefit.
Green tea also provides a protective effect against both esophageal and oral cancer, according to the American National Cancer Institute.
A dual study by the Shanghai Cancer Institute and the US National Cancer Institute shows that drinking green tea once a week for six months means less risk for colorectal and pancreatic cancers, with benefits stronger for women.
Green tea and cancer
