Liver cancer originates from liver cells. It is most commonly diagnosed in people who have chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. Metastatic liver cancer -- which starts in another part of the body, such as the lungs, breast and colon, and spreads to the liver -- has also been increasing in prevalence in the United States.
Lung cancer is a cancer that normally begins in the lining or covering tissues of the bronchi -- which are the main airways of the lungs -- although it can also start in other parts of the respiratory system, such as the trachea, the bronchioles and the alveoli. It is the most common cause of death by cancer among men and women in the United States. Green tea has been thought to help protect against both lung and liver cancers.
Plant Description
The green tea plant is a large shrub with evergreen leaves and it is native to China and other countries in the Orient. The beverage is made by infusing the leaves and leaf buds of this plant in hot water. In modern Chinese medicine and culture, green tea extract has been widely used for preventing and treating numerous human ailments, including cancer.
Green Tea Composition
Green tea contains a number of biologically active ingredients, including volatile oils, flavonoids, polysaccharides, caffeine, vitamins and minerals; each of these substances may promote good health. However, the antiproliferative effect of green tea is largely attributed to polyphenol compounds, such as epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate and epigallocatechin gallate.
Green Tea and Lung & Liver Cancers
The polyphenol compounds in green tea can help prevent the onset and growth of lung as well as liver cancer cells and tumors. Green tea polyphenols are thought to work by inducing apoptosis and antiangiogenesis as well as inhibiting the enzymes involved in the growth and proliferation cell cells, according to the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. Apoptosis is a normal physiological process of getting rid of unwanted cells, such as cancer cells, while angiogenesis is a method of forming and differentiating new blood vessels that provide cancer cells with oxygen and nutrients.
Precautions
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognizes green tea as safe, but pregnant and breastfeeding women and women must limit their green tea consumption, because it contains caffeine that can pass into breast milk and trigger side effects, such as insomnia and impaired iron metabolism with consequential anemia in infants. Patients with peptic ulcers also must avoid consuming green tea because it encourages the production of gastric acid due to the tannin and chlorogenic acid content.
References
- University of North-Texas: Dining Services: Phytonutrients: Reducing Cancer Risk
- Pennington Biomedical Research Center: Green Tea: A Review of Potential Health Benefits
- Stanford University: Prospects for Chemoprevention of Cancer by R.M. Tamimi et al
- Fairfax Country Public Schools: Herbal Supplements
- Colorado State University, Extension: Weight Loss Products and Programs; J. Anderson, L. Young and J Roach; December 2008
Member Comments