Green tea may be linked to reduced stomach cancer risk in women

Last week I wrote about a study which found that green tea may positively impact bone health.  Today I wanted to look at a newly published study (1) which found that women who drink green tea regularly seem to have a reduced risk of stomach cancer.  Past studies have linked green tea consumption to a reduced risk of cancer at various sites in the body and it is probable that this has to do with the antioxidant flavonoids/polyphenols that the tea contains such as catechins (which I also discussed last week).  There is an added benefit of green tea in terms of prevention against stomach cancer – it is thought that the tea contains compounds that may fight certain types of bacteria which have been linked to stomach cancer.

This study (1) examined the association between green tea consumption and gastric cancer.  Data for over 200,000 individuals were analysed for the research.  In women, but not men, a significantly decreased risk of stomach cancer was observed for those women who consumed 5 or more cups of green tea per day compared to those who drank one cup or less per day.  Interestingly the reduced risk of stomach cancer seemed to apply to cancers in certain parts of the stomach.  The study took place in Japan where individuals frequently drink more than 5 cups of green tea daily.

Here in the UK green tea is becoming increasingly popular as a drink and also as a nutritional supplement, with many people switching their regular milky black tea for the green variety.  This current study does not prove that green tea protects against stomach cancer – the researcher want to do further research to see whether drinking the tea actually reduces the risk of stomach cancer, or whether women with a lower risk simply happen to drink more of it.

As I have mentioned many times in the past, antioxidant nutrients and flavonoids appear to be very important in reducing the risk of various cancers and other diseases.  The best way to boost antioxidant levels is to eat a large variety of vegetables and fruits daily, a minimum of 5 portions is recommended, however some experts say this is too low and that we need to be aiming for at least 9 a day in order to prevent various illnesses.  If you feel that you consistently fall short of the recommended 5 per day you may want to consider taking an antioxidant supplement that contains a variety of flavonoids – the evidence for these supplements is currently scant but studies are presently being carried out.  Please remember that supplements should never be viewed as a replacement for a balanced diet.

(1) Inoue M et al.  2009.  Green tea consumption and gastric cancer in Japanese: a pooled analysis of six cohort studies. Gut.  58(10):1323-32.
Written by Ani Kowal

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