GREEN TEA could serve as the base of a new medicine to fight cancer, believe British and Spanish scientists. According to an article recently published in Cancer Research magazine, the medicine would be efficient and cause few side effects. Scientists from the University of Múrcia (Spain) and the John Innes Centre of Norwich (England) indicate that when two to three cups of tea are drunk each day, a component present in green tea leaves is believed to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells. According to the results of the new study, the benefits of this component should be similar to those of an anti-cancer drug that already exists, but there would be fewer side effects. Now, the researchers are studying the concept and, using green tea, will develop a new medicine to fight cancer, which, they believe, would have the capacity to kill tumour cells without affecting those that are benign. However, it is important to note that, although the drinking of green tea is recommended for the prevention of cancer, if it is drunk excessively by pregnant women, it can increase the risk of malformation in the baby’s nervous system.
