Green tea could be considered much more than just a weight-loss helper. A new study sets out to prove green tea may aid in slowing cancer in smokers.
Guy Adami and Joel Schwartz, associate professors of oral surgery and diagnostic sciences at University of Illinois at Chicago, want to prove through their study that the antioxidants and caffeine found in green tea can inhibit cancer cell growth.
Adami told Health Canal that he and his colleague believe that by drinking green tea, head and neck cancers can be prevented.
The study has subjects drink up to five cups of green tea per day and focuses on those who smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day.
The drink's beneficial properties have been recognized in other cultures for thousands of years, and a green tea "movement" is gaining steam in the U.S.
Zhiping Yu, assistant professor in the Nutrition and Dietetics Flagship Program at the University of North Florida, told the Florida Times Union that cancer prevention is only one of green tea's perceived benefits.
Its components have anti-bacterial, anti-arthritic, cholesterol-lowering and anti oxidative qualities. Green tea contains a high dose of catechins, which are antioxidants. Antioxidants are important because they block the formation of cancer-causing chemicals in the body known as free radicals.
The latest craze in the U.S. is matcha green tea, which can help in the battle of the bulge and contains magnified properties of regular green tea, as reported by Yahoo.
Used by the Japanese for centuries, Matcha takes green-tea drinking to the next level because it is a concentrated version of green tea, packing a bigger punch of antioxidants for the same volume.
In addition to helping in weight control, matcha is a powerful combatant against cancer and helps detox the kidneys and reduce blood glucose levels.
Matcha is the variety of green tea that is a popular flavor of ice cream, lattes, and even cupcakes!
