 Many studies have demonstrated evidence of several health benefits from drinking green tea, including lowering the risk of cancer. A recent large scale statistical survey to determine green tea's cancer prevention potential, first reported by Reuters then published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , was conducted by Shanghai Women's Health Study . This study involved almost 70,000 middle-aged or older non-smoking women who drank green tea regularly. The statistics showed that these women had a lower risk of colon, stomach, and throat cancer. The required green tea consumption amount was rather low for the study, only three times weekly. Those who drank more green tea with longer consumption histories demonstrated statistically lowered cancer risks than those who only met the minimum study requirements. Another recent test at Columbia University Medical Center in New York showed a link with green tea extracts (GTEs) inhibiting breast cancer tumor growth among women with beast cancer. How about green tea for men? Another study at University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine was conducted on a small group of men scheduled to undergo a prostatectomy, the procedure for removing a cancerous prostate gland. Those who drank several cups of green tea daily a few weeks before the procedure had less prostate inflammation and lower PSA (prostate specific antigen) readings, a protein marker for prostate cancer, than those who didn't. How green tea helps reduce cancer risks and cardiovascular disease It appears that green tea polyphenols, the type of antioxidant flavanoids in green tea, have extremely high antioxidant properties to help prevent clogged arteries. That's great for lowering cardiovascular disease risks. But they are more complex than most antioxidants as they also exhibit pro-oxidant abilities that can induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in cancer cells. Cancer cells can't handle oxygen. They survive by fermenting glucose for metabolism instead. So a cancer patient who eats sugar is feeding his or her cancer cells and promoting their growth. That's something oncologists don't warn their patients about. Another anti-cancer factor with green tea polyphenols is their enzymatic effects that inhibit tumor blood vessel (angeogenic) growth factors such as hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A). The type of polyphenols or flavanoids in green tea are catechins. The most abundant catechin in green tea is epigallocatechin gallate, commonly referred to as EGCG. And EGCG is considered the prime mover for green tea's health contributions. Citizens of Japan have much lower cancer rates than the U.S. despite having a higher percentage of cigarette smokers. They drink high quality green tea often. If you're not up to heavy, high quality green tea drinking, then perhaps green tea extract (GTE) supplements are right for you. GTE supplements have high concentrations of EGCG, and these are the supplements most often used in trials with positive outcomes on cancer patients. Of course, these mainstream medical trials are used on cancer patients undergoing chemo or radiation or both. What they usually discover is their treatments are more efficacious with fewer side effects when green tea extracts high in EGCG are used. That's probably because it takes less poison to kill the cancer cells when EGCG is introduced. Wait, there's more! In addition to protecting against cancer and cardiovascular issues, green tea and greet tea extracts demonstrate anti-aging and promote longevity. Green tea or GTEs also promote blood sugar stability to help block the onset of adult onset diabetes (Type II diabetes). Green tea or GTEs may help the body metabolize energy from fat, making weight loss a little easier. ECGC from green tea or green tea extracts have been observed to boost the immune system by raising the number of the body's T cells. 