Green Tea May Prevent Thyroid Cancer in Postmenopausal Women
Thyroid cancer is a cancer that forms in the thyroid gland (an organ at the base of the throat that makes hormones that help control heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, and weight). The four main types of thyroid cancer are papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic thyroid cancer. These four types are based on how the cancer cells look under a microscope.
Green tea is an evergreen shrub that has long been used in much of the world as a popular beverage and a respected medicinal agent. Green tea is an antioxidant and is used in promoting cardiovascular health and reducing serum cholesterol levels in laboratory animals and humans. Studies suggest that green tea contains dietary factors that help decrease the development of some infectious diseases and dental caries. Green tea has diuretic, stimulant, astringent, antibacterial, antifungal, anticarcinogenic, thermogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. Green tea has also been reported to enhance immunity.
A population-based cohort study conducted by Japanese researchers investigated the anticarcinogenic potential of green tea and coffee in reducing the risk of thyroid cancer. They analyzed data from 48,802 men and 51,705 women via a self-administered questionnaire on green tea and coffee consumption. During the 14.2 year follow-up, 26 men and 133 women were diagnosed with thyroid cancer. The results were green tea consumption in the general population was not found to be associated with thyroid cancer risk but it was found that postmenopausal women experienced a reduced risk for thyroid cancer. Premenopausal women who drank five or more cups of green tea a day were correlated with a 66 percent increased risk in comparison to those drinking one or less than a cup a day. Coffee consumption was not linked to thyroid cancer among the men or women. These findings suggest that high green tea consumption may be positively associated with thyroid cancer risk in premenopausal women, but inversely associated with thyroid cancer risk in postmenopausal women.
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