Tuesday, October 20, 2009

"Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one"

The ancient Chinese proverb is right on target when it comes to breast health.

Polyphenols, the main ingredients of green tea are powerful antioxidants that fight against cancer. According to research and extensive studies, polyphenols can actually stop some forms of cancer in their tracks by preventing cancer cells from turning into tumors.
There are many types of polyphenols but the strongest and most powerful of all and which are unique to green tea are the catechins.

Catechins were discovered in 1970 when a study was made in Shizuoka, Japan. It has been discovered that people living in Shizuoka Prefecture have much lower rates of cancer.

These same ingredients in green tea were proven to have the ability to interfere with both the initiation and promotion stages of cancer.


For more clarification, polyphenols have five major types: gallocatechin (GC), epicatehcin (EC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin gallate (ECg), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).


Many scientists now agree that EGCG has the highest level and broadest spectrum of cancer-fighting activity. Green tea is high in the antioxidant EGCG (epigallocatechin-3- gallate) which deactivates harmful free radicals before they damage DNA and trigger cancerous changes.

When researchers took a close look at beverage choices of thousands of women, they found that those who regularly drank green tea lowered their risk of developing breast cancer by 12%.

Tip: Tea made from loose leaves has more antioxidants than tea bags, which tend to have lower-quality, powdered leaves. If you live in the metro Atlanta area, a great place to buy tea at a great price is the DeKalb Farmer’s market

Tomorrow morning, trade in that cup of joe for a cup of green tea for a healthier start to your day!

Come back tomorrow for another healthy food tip to fight breast cancer.

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