Fighting Stomach Cancer with Green Tea

In the past decade, many studies have been performed on green and the results have been compelling.  Because of the antioxidants, it appears that green tea helps fight serious illnesses to include stomach cancer.  While more studies are still required, you can feel confident that drinking three to four cups of green tea daily would enhance your overall health.

Although all types of cancer are serious, one of the most aggressive is stomach cancer.  Cases of stomach cancer have diminished recently but throughout the world, this is still the second most common type of cancer.  Another common health problem is chronic gastritis and for people with this disorder, a greater risk of developing stomach cancer exists.

Chinese Research

At the UCLA School of Public Health in Yangzhong China, one study was conducted that consisted of 732 people and of those, 133 had existing stomach cancer, 166 were dealing with chronic gastritis, and the other 433 were healthy, being used as a part of the study to help with control.

For this study to be precise, various factors were adjusted to include smoking, alcohol consumption, age, weight, etc.  The outcome of this particular study shows that by drinking about three cups of green tea daily, risk of developing chronic gastritis and stomach cancer was greatly reduced.

Obviously, for people that are at higher risk for developing either one of these illnesses, this kind of news is great.

Stomach Cancer Concerns

The development of stomach cancer is more prevalent in some people than others are based on various factors.  Understanding the factors that would put you at risk for stomach cancer allows you to make required changes so risk can be dramatically decreased or eliminated.

Helicobacter pylori Infection – While rare in the United States, this type of stomach infection is often found in people from Eastern Europe and other foreign countries. Most medical experts believe that this chronic infection is a key contributor to the onset of stomach cancer.  Usually, Helicobacter pylori results in gastritis, as well as creating changes to the stomach lining.

Diet – Another risk factor for developing stomach cancer includes living on a diet of smoked foods, salty meats and fish, and even pickled vegetables.  All of these foods have large quantities of nitrites, which are known to cause cancer.  Now, by adding fresh fruits and vegetables to the diet, risk of stomach cancer can be decreased.

Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption – Risk of stomach cancer also increases for smokers or people that drink a lot of alcohol.  While this is somewhat controversial, it appears to be true.

Obesity – Carrying around excess weight is also a factor associated with the development of stomach cancer, which commonly affects the part of the stomach nearest the esophagus.

Stomach Surgery – People that have undergone surgery on the stomach are also at more risk for cancer of this type.  This would include surgery for treating Chrohn’s disease, ulcers, and so on.  However, the cancer may not develop for several years.

Type A Blood – Although the reason why is not understood at this time, it appears a slightly higher risk of developing stomach cancer exists for people with Type A blood.

Family Cancer – If any close relatives have had cancer, especially stomach cancer, breast, cancer, and colorectal cancer, risk of stomach cancer is increased.  Scientists know that certain inherited genes make people more susceptible to illness to include cancer.  Therefore, if a family member has or had cancer, it raises the risk level.

Polyps – If non-cancerous growths or polyps are found in the stomach’s lining, they could become cancerous.  The greatest concern is adenomas, which have been shown to increase risk of stomach cancer.

Geographical Location – Interestingly, people living in China, Japan, Eastern and Southern Europe, and Central and South America are at the greatest risk for developing stomach cancer whereas those living in North America, South Central Asia, and Western and Northern Africa are at the lowest risk.

Epstein Barr – This virus is the cause of mononucleosis, a highly contagious disease.  While most people get the virus at some time in life, in some, there is a link to lymphoma and 5% to 10% of people with stomach cancer have been shown to have the Epstein Barr virus.  This type of cancer is slow growing and not as aggressive as other types of stomach cancer.

Miscellaneous – Women get stomach cancer more than men do and this type of cancer is more common in Hispanics and African Americans than it is in non-Hispanic whites.  Pacific Islanders and Asians are at greatest risk and stomach cancer generally develops in people age 50 and older with dramatic increase by the late 60s.

If you have three or more of these risk factors, then you need to take measures to protect yourself against stomach cancer.  For this, drink three to four cups of green tea daily.  This could be loose green tea, Chinese green tea, Chai green tea, gunpowder green tea, etc.  In addition, add more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet so you can live a long life.

If you have more than three of these risk factors, you may need to be concerned about the development of stomach cancer later in life.  Drinking green tea, along with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables may be one of the most important things you can do to protect your health.  This type of healthy tea is a huge benefit because it is loaded with antioxidants.