Green Tea May Reduce Cancer Risk

Green tea is a rich source of phytochemicals that have the potential to interact with – and regulate –xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes.  Barbara Fuhrman, from the US National Cancer Institute (Maryland, USA), and colleagues followed nearly 200 pre- and post-menopausal women who were surveyed for their frequency of green tea consumption and assessed for markers of estrogen metabolism.  The team found that daily consumption of green tea associated with lower levels of estrogen metabolites, suggested to be a causal factor in the development of breast cancer.  Specifically, in postmenopausal women, urinary estrone and estradiol were approximately 20% and 40% lower, respectively, in women drinking green tea daily compared to those drinking less than once a week.  The study authors conclude that: “Findings suggest that intake of green tea may modify estrogen metabolism or conjugation and in this way may influence breast cancer risk.”