Green tea (Camellia sinensis) for the prevention of cancer
Green tea contains catechins which are powerful antioxidants that may prevent cancer. This Cochrane review looked at 51 studies that included:
- cancer of the digestive tract,
- breast cancer,
- prostate cancer,
- lung cancer,
- ovarian cancer,
- oral cancer.
Drinking 3 to 5 cups of green tea per day is safe and provides 250 mg of catechins per day.
The author concludes that there is insufficient evidence for green tea consumption preventing cancer.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009 Jul 8;(3):CD005004.
We can safely drink green tea as we wait for the results of future research on green tea and cancers such as breast cancer.