Can Green and White Teas Prevent Colon Cancer?

Almost 150,000 people will be diagnosed with colon cancer this year, making it one of the most common forms of cancer. If diagnosed at its later stages, colon cancer can be difficult to treat successfully, making surveillance by colonoscopy and prevention even more important. Surprisingly, one of the best forms of prevention for colon cancer may be the daily consumption of green and white teas.

A study conducted at the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University and published in the Journal of Carcinogenesis showed that drinking green and white reduced the number of colon tumors developed in a particular line of mice at high risk for developing colon cancer. In fact, the results seen in the mice supplemented with green and white teas were just as impressive as those witnessed in those mice given the prescription drug sulindac, an anti-inflammatory thought to help in the prevention of colon cancer.

Even more encouraging regarding prevention for colon cancer was that green and white teas when combined with the drug Sulindac reduced tumor formation in mice even more. This is encouraging news particularly when anti-inflammatories are being criticized for their undesirable side effects including bleeding from the G.I. tract and potentially increasing the risk of a heart attack when used long term. It might be possible to reduce or eliminate the prescription drug Sulindac currently being given to some people at high risk of colon cancer by supplementing with green and white teas.

Consumption of black tea doesn’t appear to be effective in prevention for colon cancer, most likely due to its lower polyphenol levels which are reduced in quantity as a result of the fermentation process that black tea undergoes during processing. Unfortunately, this is the tea most commonly consumed by thirsty Americans on a daily basis.

Analysis

Although more studies are needed to confirm these results in humans, it would certainly seem that patients who are at high risk of colon cancer might benefit from switching from black tea to the more polyphenol rich green and white teas. These teas are now widely available through a variety of outlets and aren’t generally cost prohibitive. Plus the fact that the health benefits of green and white teas extends far beyond the prevention of colon cancer makes them an even more appealing choice for quenching thirst on a daily basis. For those who don’t enjoy the taste of these teas, there are green tea supplements that provide the antioxidants found naturally in green and white teas. These appear to have the same beneficial health properties as drinking the natural teas. Making the switch to green and white teas is likely to be beneficial not only for colon cancer prevention but also for overall health.