by Michael Ventresca
Just a few weeks ago I blogged about a preliminary study that showed green tea may reduce the risk of developping lung cancer.
Well, here’s yet ANOTHER reason green tea may be good for us. Researchers from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee report that a compound found in green tea called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate0 may be useful in treating uterine fibroids, a condition that affects 25%-30% of U.S. women.
The research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology was an animal study but the results were pretty impressive.
Here’s what they found:
Ten mice [within fibroid cells] were given epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) mixed with their water, and 10 mice were given plain water. EGCG is a polyphenol in green tea and is a compound found in vegetables and fruits.The mice were followed for up to eight weeks. At both four weeks and eight weeks after treatment, fibroid growths were smaller and weighed less. The researchers note that one mouse in the EGCG group had no tumor seen at the end of eight weeks.
So that’s what happened in the mice. Here’s what the researchers found in the test tube part of the study:
In test tube studies with rodent fibroid cells, cells treated with EGCG grew more slowly and were smaller after 48-72 hours. EGCG also prompted fibroid cell death. The researchers write that it is “highly encouraging that, in our work, a relatively modest dose of EGCG … that was delivered in drinking water was successful in inducing a dramatic and sustained reduction in fibroid tumor size up to eight weeks after treatment.”
The researchers are beginning to look for participants for human trials.
So yet again, the message from Mother Nature appears to be, “Drink green tea, it’s good for you.”
