Discuss the effects of tea in cancer protection

Question

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Answer 1

Polyphenols (a group of phytonutrients) are potent cancer-fighting antioxidants found in fresh fruits and vegetables and many grains. A prime source is tea. Green, black, and red tea all seem to provide protection. Polyphenols are known to block the formation of nitrosamines and quell the activation of carcinogens. Polyphenols also are thought to fight cancer by shutting off the formation of cancer cells, turning up the body's natural detoxification defenses, and thereby suppressing progression of the disease. Different types of tea contain different mixtures of polyphenols. White tea appears to have the highest amount, followed by green and black tea. Herbal teas do not provide the same benefits as regular tea.
Observational data on tea-drinking habits in China showed that people who regularly drank green tea had about half the risk for chronic gastritis and stomach cancer, and the risk decreased further as the number of years of drinking green tea increased. In Japan, where people drink green tea regularly but smoke twice as much as people in the United States, the incidence of lung cancer is half that of the United States.
The antioxidant effect of one of the polyphenols in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, is at least 25 times more effective than vitamin E and 100 times more effective than vitamin C at protecting cells and DNA from damage believed to cause cancer, heart disease, and other diseases associated with free radicals. EGCG also is twice as strong as the red wine antioxidant resveratrol in helping to prevent heart disease.
Many of the benefits of regular tea consumption warrant further investigation. Optimistic results in animal studies are still unclear in humans. Drinking two or more cups of tea daily, preferably white or green, in place of popular high-sugar/nutrient-deficient sodas is encouraged.