Recently we interviewed Dr. Jerry McLarty about his research on green tea extract and its effect on breast cancer. We’re back here with him again to discuss breast cancer prevention more in-depth and where studies on green tea can lead in the future.
Although more trials must be conducted to verify that Polyphenon E (a natural compound found in green tea extract) can prevent or slow down the progression of breast cancer, doctors can say with certainty that two major lifestyle factors that contribute to the development of breast cancer are obesity and excessive alcohol consumption.
“Obesity is a cancer risk factor for men and women, but heavy drinking in women is also a significant risk factor for breast cancer,” Dr. McLarty says.
Besides from maintaining a healthy weight and drinking in moderation, the National Cancer institute suggests a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. So will green tea also help prevent breast cancer?
“Time will tell,” says Dr. McLarty, who is also currently working on a study in its early stages that examines the clinical use of green tea extract in men who are at high risk for prostate cancer.
“Virtually everywhere, someone is working on green tea or related compounds. I know people from Columbia University, Yale, Case-Western, and several cancer centers are doing something with green tea.”
Additionally, epidemiological studies have suggested that people who regularly drink tea are less likely to develop breast cancer, but Dr. McLarty notes that “these are observational studies that need to be followed by careful laboratory and clinical testing.”
Although Dr. McLarty acknowledges that “cancer research is a slowly progressing science,” he believes it is still “a very exciting field of research. In the very near future we will be able to start looking at how individual genomes interact with diet, green tea and other lifestyle factors. Even the ‘negative’ studies teach us something about the biology of cancer and lead us in other interesting directions.”
We’ll be sure to follow up with Dr. McLarty to report on the results of his studies in progress.
