Cancer Chemoprevention with Green Tea Catechins
A review paper by Shirikami et al, investigates epidemiological studies and a large number of experimental studies on Green Tea and its anti-Cancer benefits. The results of several papers suggest that consumption or administration of Green Tea could exert cancer chemopreventive activity.
Based on the results of laboratory cell culture investigations, mechanisms have been suggested that help explain the anti-cancer activity of Green Tea catechins – (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)- which is the most abundant and active constituent in Green Tea.
Mechanisms include promotion of anti-oxidant activity, inhibition of NF-kB and AP-1, regulation of the cell cycle, inhibition of receptor tyrosine kinase pathways, control of epigenetic modifications, and modulation of the immune system.
Several recent studies examining the anti-carcinogenic properties of Green Tea catechins in humans have yielded promising results that suggest the possibility of their application to human clinical trials. This review article evaluates the results of these investigations on Green Tea and its constituents and the data and postulates future directions for this area.
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