Green Tea May Cut Prostate Cancer Risk

Drinking several cups of green tea every day may help keep prostate cancer from spreading, according to a study funded by the Japanese government.

A study of nearly 50,000 Japanese men aged 40-69 found that those who drank five or more cups of green tea a day reduced their risk of having progressive prostate cancer by half, compared with those who drank a cup or less, according to the Epidemiology and Prevention Division of the National Cancer Center in Tokyo.

The study, carried out between 1990 and 2004 and released Wednesday, was the first to suggest green tea can help keep prostate cancer from spreading, the center said.

Catechin, a substance abundantly contained in green tea, may have inhibited cancerous cell growth or helped reduce testosterone, according to the research team.