Is Green Tea Good for the Prostate Gland?
Drinking Green Tea Could Reduce the Risk of Prostate Cancer
Jun 26, 2009
Green tea has become an increasingly popular drink as the health benefits of this catechin-rich drink are realized. Unlike black tea which is fermented, green tea retains more of its catechins, giving it an edge when it comes to preventing disease. These catechins are thought to play a role in reducing the risk of a variety of chronic diseases including cancer.
Although most of the studies showing green tea health benefits have been conducted on animals, the results have been compelling enough to boost the sales of green tea and have earned it the reputation of being a healthy drink to sip. For men, there may be another good reason to make the switch from coffee to green tea. There’s mounting evidence that green tea is good for the prostate gland.
Green Tea for the Prostate Gland?
Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed in men, and it’s estimated that one in six men will develop this disease at some point in their lives. Previous studies in mice have shown that the catechins in green tea help to prevent the spread of prostate cancer cells by shutting down the cancer’s growth and blood supply. They do this by altering levels of a protein called IGF-1, a hormone-like growth factor that also appears to fuel the growth of breast cancer cells.
While it appears that green tea catechins slow down growth of prostate cancer in mice, are green tea catechins good for the prostate gland in humans? A 2005 study showed that green tea catechins could reduce the risk of prostate cancer in humans. When middle-aged and older men with pre-malignant prostate changes were given green tea catechins in supplement form for six months, the number of men who went on to develop full blown prostate cancer was dramatically reduced. In addition, the men taking the green tea supplement experienced no significant side effects.
Another study in 2008 showed that Japanese men who drank five or more cups of green tea each day had a lower risk of advanced prostate cancer. Prostate cancer rates are significantly lower in Japan than in the United States which is thought to be related, at least partially, to the high rate of green tea consumption.
Is Green Tea Good for the Prostate Gland: The Bottom Line?
Some experts believe that men who are at high risk for prostate cancer may benefit from green tea. The only problem is that the doses of green tea catechins used in the study would be the equivalent of twenty to forty cups of green tea per day. This is unlikely to be doable for most people. For this reason, supplementing with a high quality green tea extract may be another way to reduce the risk of prostate cancer.
Although green tea appears to be good for the prostate gland, it may be best to wait for larger trials to confirm its role in prostate cancer prevention before taking high dose supplements. Until then, green tea can still be enjoyed in its liquid form.
References:
American Association for Cancer Research (2004, December 15). Green Tea Polyphenols Thwart Prostate Cancer Development At Multiple Levels.
Epidemiology and Prevention Division, Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan.
