Study unlocks anti-cancer mechanism of green tea
Scientists have long touted the anti-cancer properties of green tea polyphenols, yet the precise mechanism behind their effects often remained unclear. A new study from Pennsylvania State University may shed light on a process that kills oral cancer cells while keeping healthy ones intact, which could pave the way for alternative cancer treatments. In vitro findings suggest that EGCG polyphenols cause oxidative damage in oral cancer cell mitochondria, which supply energy to the cells, and then spread to other parts of the cells causing them to die by attacking their antioxidant gene defenses. Healthy cells are not adversely affected and could even see their protective abilities increased. Oral cancer kills over 8,000 Americans every year and affects more than 43,000.