MD Anderson Cancer Center Endorses Green Tea and Dark
Chocolate to Reduce Cancer Risk!
December 2009: The December 2009 on-line edition of
Focused
on Health published by MD Anderson Cancer Center encourages
green tea,
dark chocolate,
exercise, and
increased fruit consumption to reduce the risk of developing
cancer. We wholeheartedly agree!
Dark Chocolate-A
Rich Source of AntiCancer Antioxidants*
According to MD
Anderson Cancer Center:
-
“In addition to being delicious,
moderate amounts of dark chocolate may play a role in cancer
prevention. … Just be sure to check the label before buying!
To get those cancer prevention benefits, the
chocolate
should contain at least 65% cocoa.”
-
“Recent research shows that
dark
chocolate has chemicals, called flavonoids, which have been
shown to play a role in reducing cancer risks. Flavanoids
act as antioxidants and occur naturally in the plant-based
cacao bean, the base of all chocolate products. Cacao beans
are, in fact, one of the most concentrated natural sources
of antioxidants that exist.”
-
"One way to enhance the body’s
antioxidant defenses is to eat antioxidant-rich foods, such
as dark chocolate. Other well-known foods that contain
antioxidants include blueberries, walnuts, cranberries,
teas
(green and black) and red wines. Antioxidant levels are
determined by Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, which
measures a food’s ability to neutralize the harmful effects
of free radicals. Data from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture and the Journal of the American Chemical Society
indicates that dark chocolate tops the list for Oxygen
Radical Absorbance Capacity on a per serving basis."
-
"Choose
dark chocolate with a
high cacao percentage(65% or higher).
-
"Include a special message in a Valentine’s Day card. Remind the person you love that dark chocolate can
aid in cancer prevention. Because it’s only healthful in
small portions, also encourage him or her to share the
chocolates with others.
Green Tea--A
Rich Source of AntiCancer Antioxidants
According to MD
Anderson Cancer Center**
-
“Studies suggest that antioxidants in
green tea protect against cancer by stopping cancer cells
from growing. So what gift could be better for your loved
one than a green-tea sampler?” MD Anderson Cancer Center
endorses Dark Chocolate and Green Tea, December 2009
-
Green tea is thought to protect against
cancer by causing cell cycle arrest (which stops cancer
cells from dividing wildly) and by inducing cell death
(which kills tumor cells). The four major active ingredients
in green tea are eipicatechin-3-gallate, epigallocatechin,
epicatechin and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). EGCG is
the most researched, and it is a potent
antioxidant. A cup of green tea contains about 10-142 mg
EGCG and 10-90 mg caffeine. Black tea has less EGCG than
green tea.
* The information on dark chocolate from MD Anderson was
compiled from these two pages on December 16, 2009
http://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/issues/2009-december/share-the-health.html
and
http://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/issues/2009-february/valentines-sweetest-treat.html
** The information on green tea from MD Anderson was
compiled from these two pages on December 16, 2009
http://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/issues/2009-december/share-the-health.html
and
http://www.mdanderson.org/education-and-research/departments-programs-and-labs/departments-and-divisions/clinical-nutrition/complementary-therapies/clinical-nutrition-green-tea.html
