Green Tea Halts Leukemia----Mayo Clinic

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Green Tea Halts Leukemia --Mayo Clinic

If you read the headline: " Green Tea Cures Leukemia " in a supermarket

tabloid, you might be more than skeptical.

What if the news came from the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Minnesota ?

In a stunning new report in the medical journal Leukemia Research, a team

of Mayo Clinic College of Medicine investigators, headed by hematologist Tait

Shanafelt, M.D. detail four cases in which green tea caused dramatic

improvement in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)., a

progressive

blood and bone marrow cancer, considered incurable.

Last year, test-tube studies at the Mayo Clinic showed that EGCG, a unique

antioxidant in green tea, killed luekemic B-cells in a majority of patients.

Consequently, some patients, on their own, began taking EGCG or drinking more

green tea.

Here are the remarkable results, as reported by the Mayo Clinic doctors:

*A 58-year-old woman, diagnosed with CLL in June 2001 began taking green tea

capsules in March, 2004. She took two capsules per day, each containing 315

milligrams of antioxidant polyphenols, including EGCG. Before taking the

green tea capsules, signs of her leukemia steadily worsened as verified by CT

scans. After a month of taking the concentrated EGCG-green-tea capsules, a CT

scan showed regression of her cancer. The leukemia continued to regress over

the next year, as clearly documented by CT scans, shrinking cancerous lymph

nodes from 50% to " near normalization. " " She continues to do well taking

daily oral green tea polyphenol capsules 44 months after diagnosis and has not

required conventional therapy. " the Mayo doctors write.

*A 55-year-old woman with non-Hodgkins lymphoma (with characteristics

similar to CLL) began drinking a cup of green tea every day (made from 2 tea

bags). Within 3 months, CT scans showed regression, and within 10 months,

revealed

a 50% decrease in the largest lymph node areas.

*A 50-year-old woman with CLL for about 6 1/2 years, experienced a decline

in white blood cell counts after she began drinking green tea, providing about

300 mg polyphenols a day. " She continues to do well without conventional

therapy, " her doctors say.

*A 60-year-old woman with CLL of 5 years-duration, began drinking 8 cups of

green tea a day in 2004 because of an alarming rise in her white blood cell

count. Within a week of starting the green tea, her white blood cells

plummeted, and declined further over the next 4 1/2 months. She continues to

drink

green tea daily and is still without symptoms from her CLL, report the Mayo

doctors.

Researchers believe EGCG is the antioxidant agent in green tea responsible

for the anticancer activity. Several studies have suggested that EGCG can also

prevent various cancers, says Dr. Shanafelt, but this is the first strong

evidence it may also help treat cancer.

" It is exciting that research is now demonstrating this agent may provide

new hope for CLL patients, " he says.

At the same time, Dr. Shanafelt cautions that the study is small and

anecdotal, and that it is unknown how many patients may have been taking green

tea

without benefits, or what the optimal dose is or whether there could be side

effects from long-time use of green tea. However, a recent study found no

significant adverse effects from taking 800 mg purified decaffeinated EGCG for

a

month.

Source: Shanafelt TD, et al ,Leukemia Research, 2005 Nov 30 (Epub ahead of

print)

 

 

 

 

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