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Green Tea and the Skin

Camellia sinesis plant.  Green tea is rich in polyphenolic antioxidants which have anti-tumor, antibacterial and antioxidant properties.  The major antioxidant in green tea is epigallocatechin gallate (EG). In animal model studies, EG taken orally or applied topically to the skin protects against sunburns and reduces skin cancer development.  Other studies have shown EG to be a potent inhibitor of breast, colon, and melanoma tumor cell lines.  So the bottom line, Green tea is showing itself to be a potentially very effective chemo preventative agent in reducing skin cancer development.  Human studies will be necessary to demonstrate findings in animal model studies. For more reading see http://chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa011400b.htm