Green Tea As A Preventer Of Stomach Cancer

Green Tea As A Preventer Of Stomach Cancer
By Marcus Stout

By now most of us have heard that green tea has been shown to
be an effective cancer preventer. There are numerous studies
that have shown green tea’s anti-oxidants to have significant
power in protecting our health and preventing disease. 

Much of the research on green tea has been performed on
laboratory mice, mostly because human trials take years to
perform, and because human trials are rife with variables that
can make conclusions difficult to determine. 

However, one study performed in China on stomach cancer, did
look at humans and attempted to ascertain whether or not green
tea could mitigate their cancer risk, particularly in those who
had a higher than average risk of stomach cancer, due to family
history. 

This study examined 206 people who had recently been diagnosed
with stomach cancer, and 415 healthy participants. The subjects
were thoroughly interviewed regarding their dietary habits. The
participants were also screened for their relative
susceptibility to stomach cancer, based on family history and
other factors that raise the risk of developing stomach cancer.

This study showed a significant reduced risk of stomach cancer
in those who were regular green tea drinkers. The reduced risk
was even significant in those participants who would normally
have had a higher than average risk of developing the disease.

Therefore, the study concluded that green tea may have the
ability to mitigate other cancer risk factors. In particular,
green tea was shown to significantly mitigate the risk for heavy
alcohol drinkers. 

Stomach cancer is a significant risk in the US. Each year, over
22,000 people are diagnosed with the disease, and over 11,000
will die from it. Two thirds of those who get stomach cancer
each year are over the age of 65. 

Today, is far less common in the US than it once
was. Doctors believe this reduction is caused primarily by two
things. The first is the more regular use of anti-biotics to
treat infections in children. One particular bacteria, known as
H pylori, is a significant contributor to stomach cancer, and
anti-biotics can often kill this bacteria in our bodies while
we’re still children, before it can cause problems later on. 

The second reason doctors believe we’ve seen a decrease in
stomach cancer is refrigeration. In years past, the only way to
keep meat safe for long periods of time was through salt curing
or smoking. It’s believed that the nitrates in meats preserved
in this manner contribute to the development of stomach cancer.
Therefore, the reduction in the amount of salt cured and smoked
meats in our diet may reduce our risk of stomach cancer. 

What are the risk factors for stomach cancer?

So, just what does make us have a higher risk of developing
stomach cancer? There are several risk factors, and many of them
can be controlled.

The leading risk factors include:

• Smoking

• Obesity
• Poor Diet – As mentioned earlier, high levels of salted and
smoked meat can contribute to stomach cancer. Conversely, a diet
rich in fruits and vegetables has been shown to lower your risk
of stomach cancer. 
• Previous stomach surgery - those who have had surgery for
ulcers and other stomach problems are at a higher risk of
stomach cancer. 
• Pernicious anemia sufferers
• Menetrier Disease sufferers
• Those with Type A blood
• Stomach polyps
• Family History
• Epstein-Barr Virus
• Bacterial infections

Mitigating Your Risk

We can’t control our family history or our blood type, but many
of the risk factors for are things that we have
some control over. As an overall way to help prevent cancer,
it’s important to eat a healthy diet. 

Lots of fruits and vegetables are critical in this part of your
cancer prevention regime, because in addition to their other
healthy qualities, they are loaded with anti-oxidants, just like
green tea. 

Anti-oxidants are known cancer preventers because they fight
the free radicals created in our bodies as we convert food to
energy. These free radicals damage cells and DNA, leading to
disease. But, a diet rich in anti-oxidants can neutralize these
free radicals, preventing their damage. 

So, including fruits and vegetables in your diet can help you
in several ways. First of all, you’ll be getting lots of
vitamins and your daily dose of anti-oxidants. However, fruits
and vegetables can also help you keep your weight in check,
which is also a cancer preventer. Obesity is a risk factor for
stomach, and many other forms of cancer. 

You can also mitigate your risk by not smoking.
Most people know that smoking causes lung cancer, but many
people don’t realize that smoking contributes to the development
of many forms of cancer, including stomach cancer. It’s also a
wise idea to limit your alcohol intake. 

Some studies have shown an increased risk of stomach cancer
among those who drank alcohol in large quantities over a period
of years. 

Finally, it’s important to keep close tabs on your health in
general. Visit your doctor regularly for checkups and have
routine tests done when recommended. 

And, don’t forget to drink some green tea each and every day to
give yourself and extra boost of cancer prevention!

About the Author: Marcus Stout is President of the Golden Moon
Tea Company. For more information about tea, green tea and wu
long tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com

Source: http://www.isnare.com

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