Sunday, August 19, 2007

Green Tea: Why it's Good for Mesothelioma

One of the rarest forms of cancer is the mesothelioma cancer. This is a form of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs but it is different from lung cancer. The major difference is that it is the mesothelium (a double-layered organ lining), which is strongly affected rather than the entire lung itself. But this does not make mesothelioma less deadly. In fact, compared with other types of cancers, mesothelioma is one of those few forms that do not have any cure. This might come in as a grim reality but early detection and prevention of the illness would be much better than thinking of the methods of treatment that would only alleviate the pain or slow down the growth of the cancer cells.

If this form of cancer has already its clout on you, make sure to combat it with, not only your unending faith, but also some of the proven methods of treatment that would prolong your existence and alleviate pain. The most common methods of treatment include radiation therapy and chemotherapy; immunotherapy and also for the worse cases--surgery. But the good news is, there are alternative forms of treatment that are now being introduced to cancer patients. One of the many treatments is partaking of natural stuff that has medicinal substances in them. This is called the natural method of treatment.

Green tea is just one of the many substances that have anti-oxidants which help in neutralizing free radicals that cause cancer. Other sources of anti-oxidants include the following: asparagus, blueberries, red beans, tomatoes, pomegranates, and yes, even dark chocolates! Anti-oxidants are necessary in combating cancers because they help in battling the unhealthy cells from invading the still healthy cells.

Long before the discovery of cancer or any of those fatal diseases, the Chinese have already accustomed themselves to drinking green tea for better health. Thousands of years ago, they have already reaped the benefits of having green tea on their diet.

Green tea is rich with catechin polyphenols and EGCG or epigallocatechin gallate (which is a potent anti-oxidant. The main difference green tea has when compared with all other forms of mesothelioma cancer treatment methods is that, it kills the cancer cells as it leaves the healthy cells, well, healthy.

But a great news is that, a study at the University of Kansas showed that green tea is 100 times more effective in deactivating free radicals when compared to vitamin C. There have been countless studies regarding the prevention and treatment of cancer through the help of green tea. All of these studies have proven that green tea did reduce the occurrence of most types of cancer.

The Saitama Cancer Research Institute did a more specific study where green tea was specified to have delayed the occurrence of cancer (forms include mouth cancer, breast cancer and, of course, lung cancer) if 5 or more cups were consumed daily. Not only was the occurrence hampered but also the recurrence of the disease once it is detected early and then treated!

As if all of this wasn't enough, green tea is a cut above the rest of the sources of anti-oxidants because it isn't fermented when it's processed. Fermentation causes some changes in the anti-oxidants (which, of course, you would not want!).

With regard to mesothelioma cancer, this is known to be one of the most aggressive forms of cancer so it is best to counter the effects of the cancer cell attacks by taking in a substance that would equally hamper the invasion at the same speed. Green tea is best at stopping the growth of abnormal cells that affect the still healthy cells. It does all this because green tea greatly improves the immune system which is the body's natural army against illnesses.

And do you want to know another great thing? Green tea does not have any side effects! So if you are still in doubt as to the medicinal effects of this type of tea, it is actually safe to include this on your diet now. Although it has caffeine, its content when compared to coffee or even the regular sodas are contrastingly low.