Cervical cancer is a malignant tumor that occurs in the cervix, the narrow outer portion of the uterus that opens at the top of the vagina. It is less common cancer among women in the United States and is 100 percent treatable. Cervical cancer can take many years to develop. It is normally preceded by a precancerous condition called dysplasia. These precancerous cells can progress to an invasive cancer that spreads to other organs. Green tea offers benefits in reducing the risk of cervical cancer.
Plant Description
Green tea is an herbal beverage made from the unfermented leaves and leaf buds of the Camellia sinensis plant, a large shrub extensively cultivated in China and other countries. In recent years, green tea and its extracts have been used to prevent and treat various diseases, including cancer, according to a 2001 study conducted by Y.D. Jung and his colleagues of the medical research institute at the Chonnam University Medical School, Korea, which was published in the journal "British Journal of Cancer."
Green Tea Composition
Green tea is a good source of biologically active constituents, such as volatile oils, vitamins, minerals and caffeine; however, the principle ingredients found in green tea are polyphenol compounds, including epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate and epigallocatechin gallate. These compounds produce green tea's medicinal properties.
Green Tea and Cervical Cancer
The polyphenol compounds in green tea may help prevent cervical cancer in women at high risk of developing the disease. Green tea polyphenols are chemicals with potent antioxidant properties; these compounds inhibit the formation of free radicals -- damaging compounds in the body that temper with DNA in chromosomes, causing harmful mutations, the most common pathway for cancer.
Precautions
Green tea is normally safe, but pregnant women and women who breast-feed must avoid consuming it, due to its caffeine content. Green tea has been reported to impair iron metabolism, leading to the occurrence of anemia in infants. Patients with stomach ulcers also must limit their green tea consumption to avoid excessive heartburn because it encourages the production of gastric acid.
References
- University of North-Texas: Dining Services: Phytonutrients: Reducing Cancer Risk (PDF)
- University of Alaska, Fairbanks: Green Tea and Green Extract (PDF)
- Fairfax Country Public Schools: Herbal Supplements (PDF)
- Colorado State University, Extension: Weight Loss Products and Programs; J. Anderson, L. Young and J Roach; December 2008 (PDF)
- PubMed Central: Major Component of Green Tea, Inhibits Tumour Growth by Inhibiting VEGF Induction in Human Colon Carcinoma Cells; Y.D. Jung, et al.; 2001 (PDF)
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