Green Tea Short-Circuits the Cancer Process


"A unique quirk of biochemistry allows green tea's protective effects to extend to many different kinds of cells," says Dr. Gasiewicz. "In fact, one of the active green tea substances - called EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate) - seems to target one protein that is common throughout our bodies. And it does so with a degree of precision that cancer drugs still aren't able to match."

This protein is called HSP90, and it is present at high levels in many cancer cells. Scientists believe that, in some circumstances, HSP90 helps to trigger the series of changes in cells that eventually lead to cancer.

However, when green tea's EGCG binds to this protein, it helps to prevent these changes from happening. "EGCG targets HSP90, binds directly to it, and keeps it from passing on signals that can start the cancer process," Dr. Gasiewicz explains. "As a result, potentially harmful genes are less likely to get turned on." This is important, because HSP90 is present in all of our cells. . .

Asian data links green tea to reduced risk for breast, prostate, bladder, colon, stomach, pancreatic and esophageal cancers. This new finding shows that EGCG may be effective against an important "common denominator" for many different cancers, at the very start of the cancer process.

EGCG Does What Cancer Drugs Can't Yet Do

Green tea's EGCG acts with a natural precision that scientists have not yet been able to duplicate in a drug. Because cancer cells tend to have higher levels of HSP90 than healthy cells, pharmaceutical researchers have tried to develop a drug that keeps HSP90 from sending the biochemical signals that can trigger cancer. But nothing seems to work as perfectly as green tea's EGCG.

Unlike black tea or oolong, regular green tea leaves are baked or steamed before they can oxidize, so their EGCG level remains high. . .