Green Tea Not Proven Can Prevent Breast Cancer

Antioxidants in green tea has long been known to prevent cancer cell growth. However, recent research in Japan shows no link between green tea consumption with breast cancer risk.

Several previous studies noted that consumption of green tea may help protect women from breast cancer. This is because the content of polyphenol compounds contained in green tea may actually protect against breast cancer.

Polyphenols belong to a powerful antioxidant. This compound neutralizes free radicals that cause cancer. However, recent large-scale studies in Japan showed different results. Drinking green tea had no relation to breast health. Result of these findings published online in the Oct. 28 issue of the journal Breast Cancer Research.

"We found no overall relationship between green tea consumption and risk of breast cancer among Japanese women used to drink green tea," said study leader Dr. Motoki Iwasaki, Epidemiology and Prevention in Research Center for Cancer Prevention and Screening of the National Cancer Center in Tokyo, Japan.

"Our findings suggest that consumption of green tea is consumed regularly is not possible to reduce the risk of someone suffering from breast cancer," said Healthday.

For this study, Iwasaki team members collected data on 53,793 women who were surveyed between 1995 and 1998. Ask the question of how many participants are consuming green tea.

This question was given at baseline and introduced five years later. In the second study, researchers also asked about the two types of green tea Sencha and Bancha Genmaicha.

The researchers found, among women, approximately 12% of them consumed less than one cup of green tea in the other 27% per week. Drinking five or more cups a day.

This study also included female respondents who drank more than 10 cups a day. For nearly 14 years of follow up, 350 women from the study participants had breast cancer.

However, the researchers found no association between green tea and breast cancer risk. In the study, Iwasaki said that a force of this investigation and the enactment of the goals to reach for the number of participants to information collected before the diagnosis of breast cancer.

"So avoid the bias that is often inherent in research using the case study method," he said.

Dr. Stephanie Bernik, breast cancer surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, United States, said it was difficult to say that there is no benefit at all from green tea consumption.

"Maybe there is no benefit, specifically for breast cancer," he said.

Bernik said that many women who have breast cancer are interested in alternative medicine when Western medical treatment can not cure.

"We always seek more knowledge about how to treat breast cancer and reduce the incidence of breast cancer," he said.

"Women definitely interested in how you can have a healthy lifestyle," continued Bernik.

Jennifer J. Hu, professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Miami School of Medicine, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, United States, adding that the problem with population-based study is that when it comes to seeing a single factor, which not be taken into account the risk factors Another conclusion that can affect research.

"Also, just by drinking green tea, do not get enough of the form (possibly compound to fight cancer) to make a big difference," he said.

Based on these problems, Hu did not believe that this research is to answer the question of whether or not green tea may help someone prevent breast cancer.

Breast cancer deserves to be seen as a frightening disease for women. Worldwide, breast cancer is the second leading cause of death after lung cancer, colon cancer followed.

While in Indonesia, the number of patients with breast cancer is second after cancer of the cervix (cervical). The high number of cases of suspected breast cancer that women are less aware of breast changes that often causes breast cancer is detected at an advanced stage.

In fact, early detection and increased surveillance along the appropriate treatment is thought to reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer.

Specific causes of breast cancer remains unknown. However, there are many factors that are estimated to have an influence on the occurrence of breast cancer. The family history, menstruation or menopause very young at the age of 50, gave birth to her first child at the age of 35 years, diets with excessive consumption of fat, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption , stress, genetic factors and others.