Can Green Tea Treat Skin Cancer?

Some of the most promising cancer research going today involves the use of green tea and its ability to prevent cancer and even treat cancer in patients already diagnosed with the disease have been. The researchers examine many ways that gr een tea could be used, and are working on the cancer types for which the promise is to be determined. In recent years, scientists have a whole lot about the importance of a diet rich in antioxidants learned. Anti-oxidants are a powerful tool in slowing the aging process and prevent disease. They are more important than even with the number of processed foods we consume. Fresh fruit and vegetables are rich in antioxidan ts, like dark chocolate and green tea. Coffee is also a source of antioxidants, though not nearly so rich in them as green tea. The process our bodies go through to convert our food into energy creates free r adicals each day. Free radicals are molecules containing oxygen our cells and DN A damage. If we do not against them, which makes us age faster, they contribute to the development of clogged arteries and make us more susceptible to diseases and problems of aging. So, it is certain that we all have a high degree of anti-oxidants as part of our daily diet to consume. But of particular interest are the anti-oxidants in gree n tea. Asian cultures consume a large amount of green tea, and took its healing properties for centuries. And it just so happens that they have a much lower inc idence of cancer and heart disease. There are of course other differences between the Asian culture and ours. It is worth noting that we have much more to obesity and research showed us that obesi ty is a significant risk factor for many diseases including cancer and heart dis ease. Yet another interesting fact that Asian cultures, especially Japanese men smoke much more frequently than we are, yet they still have a much lower inciden ce of cancer and heart disease. So, green tea is of great importance in our quest to live longer and be healthie r. There are hundreds of studies showing that green tea is a good cancer prevent ative and effectiveness in the treatment of cancer. An important study is linked skin cancer. According to the American Cancer Socie ty skin cancer is the most common of all cancers. Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. While only 4% of cases of melanoma skin cancer, it causes more deaths than any other type of skin cancer. The number of new cases of melanoma will be on the rise in the U.S. an estimated 62 000 Americans diagnosed in 2006, and died about 8000 people of melanoma in t he U.S. this year. Melanoma is very widespread. It is estimated that about one m illion people with melanoma diagnosed each year, which is approximately the same number of people who combined all other types of cancer contract. But people ra rely die from melanoma only about 1,000 each year in the United States. Since skin cancer is so prevalent in our country it is crucial that we explore t ime and money as we can spend this treatment of cancer. Of course, skin cancer, in part preventable. So, as part of a healthy lifestyle we should be diligent ab out protection from the sun, because this is the most important aspect of preven ting both types of skin cancer. Be to reduce your risk of skin cancer, make sure you always protected from the s un, even on cloudy days and even in winter. Cover as much as possible to the bod y with clothing and use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher on any areas that may no t cover you. Make sure you follow the instructions carefully on sun protection, many people do not use enough sunscreen and apply it again not often enough. As a scientist researching ways to prevent and treat skin cancer, the results wi th green tea are promising. A special investigation of the Alternative Medicine Review reported excellent results in skin cancer prevention and treatment of mic e with the use of green tea were both applied topically and orally *. In this study, mice were exposed to about seven different kinds of carcinogens t hat cause or contribute to any known skin cancer. The mice were divided into gro ups. Some of the groups were treated with green tea, and treats it for their dri nking water. Others were treated topically with green tea extract. Some of the g

roups of mice were already under skin cancer, as well. The investigation was conducted so that mice run through to each different carci nogen were treated with green tea in two forms. For example, some of the mice ex posed to UVB rays only treated with oral green tea, while others had been treate d with only topical green tea extract. The investigations showed that all mice have benefited from the green tea treatm ent, whether given orally or applied topically. In each group, the green tea was effective in preventing skin cancer. The study found that green tea applied top ically seems to intercept and destroy skin cells, which are likely to be a cance r cell before they can mutate. The green tea whether given orally or applied topically, slowed tumor growth in mice that were already infected. In addition, orally administered green tea seem ed to cause some regression of existing skin cancer. Of course these results are very promising. If this research is a good indicator of how green tea can also work in humans as well then topically applied green t ea may be the new trend in skin products has become. In addition, these results support other findings that drinking green tea is effective in the prevention an d treatment of many cancers conclusion. The next step is, of course, the human studies carried out to determine whether the same results prove true. It seems certain that we have sufficient evidence t hat green tea should be part of any diet for its ability to slow aging and preve nt disease. The most exciting news from this study is the idea that we might benefit dramati cally from the simple step of applying a form of green tea on our skin. The addi tion of green tea, our sunscreens could, lotions and moisturizers have a dramati c effect on the number of skin cancer diagnosed each year. And perhaps even for those who applied already diagnosed with skin cancer, green tea on the skin to p rove to an effective treatment to kill cancer cells, or at least slow its progre ssion. http://ourgreenlife.info/?p=327