Having succeeded in convincing consumers of the health benefits of green tea, Japanese tea manufacturers are now aiming to expand into a new market: the production of pharmaceuticals containing green-tea extracts for use in the prevention of cancer.
Although many laboratory and epidemiological studies have linked green tea with the prevention of everything from cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure to gum disease and allergies, experts admit these benefits have yet to be medically confirmed.
In an attempt to provide scientific proof of green tea's beneficial effects, the U.S. National Cancer Institute recently began a controlled clinical trial in cooperation with tea manufacturer Mitsui Norin Co. Using Mitsui Norin's green tea-extract product Polyphenon, the NCI research team is now examining whether green tea is effective in preventing skin tumors.