When you have stomach cancer, cells that make up the lining and wall of the stomach divide and grow out of order or control. In the United States, stomach cancer is the seventh most common cause of cancer-related deaths. About 95 percent of all stomach cancer is gastric adenocarcinoma, which arises from the glands in the stomach lining. The precise cause of stomach cancer is unknown, although certain risk factors are believed to contribute to cells in the stomach becoming cancerous. These include too much alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, diets, stomach surgery and a family history of gastroesophageal reflux disease or gastrointestinal cancer. Green tea has been reported to have stomach cancer preventive activity in laboratory studies.
Plant Description
Green tea comes from the tea plant Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub that is under extensive cultivation in many east Asian countries, including China and India. In traditional Chinese and Indian medicine, the young and unfermented leaves of Camellia sinensis have been used to prevent and treat a number of health problems, including cancer.
Green Tea Composition
Green Tea contains numerous compounds, including caffeine; flavonoids, such as theaflavin; volatile oils; polysaccharides; vitamins, such as ascorbic acid and tocopherol; and minerals. However, most of the healthful properties of green tea are largely attributed its polyphenols, especially the catechin called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG.
Green Tea and Stomach Cancer
Greater green tea consumption may offer protection against stomach cancer. It is a significant source of antioxidant compounds called catechins, which appear to protect the stomach from cell-damaging free radicals that occur naturally in your body. Scientists believe that highly energized oxygen metabolites, or so-called free radicals, strike DNA molecules in chromosomes, causing harmful mutations that lead to the onset and growth of stomach cancer tumors, according to the Department of Medicine at University of California, San Francisco.
Precautions
Green tea is generally recognized as safe, even in large amounts. However, you must not give green tea to infants because it may cause insomnia due to its caffeine content. People suffering from ulcers must not ingest large amounts of green tea because it can stimulate the production of gastric acid, causing severe heartburn.
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