Asian cultures have always consumed a large amount of Green tea and have revered its healing properties for centuries. It just so happens that they have a much lower occurrence of cancer and heart disease. There are thousands of studies that have shown that Green tea is an excellent good cancer preventative and could enhance the effectiveness of cancer treatments.
Skin cancer is of particular importance. According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer is the most widespread of all cancers. Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer. While only 4% of skin cancer cases are melanoma, it causes more deaths than any other type of skin cancer.
As scientists are researching ways to thwart and treat skin cancer, the results involving green tea are promising. One particular study conducted by the Alternative Medicine Review showed exceptional results in skin cancer prevention and treatment in mice with the use of green tea both applied topically and given orally. In this study, mice were exposed to about seven different types of carcinogens, all of which are believed to cause or contribute to skin cancer. The mice were separated into groups. Some of the groups were treated with green tea by substituting it for their drinking water. Others were treated topically with green tea extract. Some of the groups of mice were already suffering from skin cancer.
The research was conducted so that mice undergoing exposure to each different carcinogen were treated with green tea in both forms. For example, some of the mice being exposed to UVB rays were treated with only oral Green tea, while others were treated with only topical green tea extract. The research concluded that all of the mice benefited from the green tea treatment, whether it was given orally or applied topically. In every group, the Green tea was effective at preventing skin cancer. The study found that green tea applied topically annihilates skin cells that are likely to become cancerous before they can mutate.
The green tea, whether given orally or applied topically, slowed down the cancer growth in the mice that were already infected. In addition, green tea given orally seemed to cause some degeneration of existing skin cancer cells. These results are very exciting. If this research is a good sign of how Green tea might work in humans, as well, then topically applied green tea may become the new trend in skin products. Moreover, these findings conclude that drinking green tea is successful in preventing and treating many forms of cancer.
The most exciting news from this study is the idea that we might all benefit dramatically from the simple step of applying a form of Green tea to our skin. And even for those already suffering with skin cancer, Green tea applied to the skin might prove to be an effective treatment to kill the cancer cells, or at least help to slow down their progression.