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Green Tea Polyphenols

Promising Substances for Prostate Cancer Chemoprevention

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine

Abstract

Basic research has identified some nutrients as agents that inhibit mutagenesis and hyperproliferation, as well as some that induce apoptosis or differentiation, which are critical characteristics for chemoprevention regardless of the nutrient’s specific molecular targets. Some of the most promising nutrients identified as chemopreventive agents in prostate cancer are green tea polyphenols. The components of green tea are epigallocatechin-3-gallate [(−)-EGCG], epigallocatechin [(−)-EGC], epicatechin-3-gallate [(−)-ECG], epicatechin [(−)-EC] and their epimers (−)-GCG, (−)-CG, (−)-GC and (−)-C. Of these components, (−)-EGCG has been the most extensively investigated because of its relative abundance and strong cancer-preventive properties. Recently, several epidemiological, animal and laboratory studies have demonstrated the cancer-preventive properties of green tea polyphenols, specifically in prostate cancer. This article reviews the evidence to date in the role of green tea polyphenols in prostate cancer, and the future directions of this field of research.

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Notes

  1. The use of trade names is for product identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement.

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  1. Department of Nutrition and Department of Cancer Control, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida College of Medicine, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, Florida, 33612-9497, USA

    Nagi B. Kumar

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Kumar, N.B. Green Tea Polyphenols. Evid-Based-Integrative-Med 2, 13–18 (2005). https://doi.org/10.2165/01197065-200502010-00004

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