Tea and Cancer

There is always something new on the horizon about how this or that will fight cancer. Having had family fight - and win! - against the raging beast, it is not something I take lightly, nor mess around with. I still believe modern medicine is the best fight we have against most ills, cancer especially.

That being said, it is still nice to read how tea may have some part in helping to fight cancer. A study by Boston University School of Medicine found that green tea reduced the size of cancerous breast tumors in rats. It is believed that the antioxidants in tea may stop carcinogens in their tracks. Another study by researchers at the University College London say that caffeine and its related compounds may block the functions of enzymes that spread cancer cells. Yet another study by the University of Minnesota of more than 35,000 postmenopausal women found that those who drank two or more cups on non-herbal tea a day were 68% less likely to develop urinary tract cancer, and 32% less likely to develop digestive tract cancer. Increased tea consumption has been linked in separate studies to lower rates of esophageal cancer in China, pancreatic cancer in Poland, and stomach cancer in Japan. And then one more study by Brigham and Women's Hospital of 66,940 women found that women who had diets high in kaempferol (found in black and green tea and broccoli), had a 40% lower risk of ovarian cancer than women with the lowest intake.

Good news, but a long ways away from a cure. What it really says to me is lifestyle choices can and do make a difference, but are not the be all to end all when it comes to cancer. The best gift you can give yourself is to live as healthy a life as you can, and see your doctor regularly. Talk about anything you are concerned about, and especially if it is embarrassing. Your life may depend on it!

Whew, enough on scary stuff. Today I am drinking a happy tea:

A green tea with orange blossoms and ginger root.