A combination of the active ingredients in reishi mushrooms and green tea inhibited the growth of tumors and extended survival time of mice with sarcomas, two Chinese studies show.
Sarcomas are cancers of the bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels or other connective or supportive tissue.
Both reishi mushrooms and green tea have long held a place in traditional medicine in Asia. Recent research has shown that both enhance the body's immune function, according to two new studies by researchers at the Pharmanex BJ Clinical Pharmacology Center in Beijing.
Study #1
Researchers injected mice with sarcoma cells and then gave them low, medium or high doses of a product called ReishiMax that contains high concentrations of the active components in reishi mushrooms, including polysaccharides and triterpenes, or a combination of ReishiMax and Tegreen, a product composed of 98% to 99% green tea polyphenols (plant chemicals that neutralize damaging free radicals in the body).
Result: The mice that received the combination treatment lived longer.
Study #2
Groups of healthy mice were given low, medium or high doses of ReishiMax or low, medium or high doses of a combination of ReishiMax and Tegreen. After 14 days of treatment, the mice were injected with sarcoma cells. The treatment then continued for another 14 days.
Result: Tumor development in the mice that received the combination treatment was less than in those that received only ReishiMax and 45% less than mice that received no treatment.
Green Tea Combats Skin Cancer
Polyphenols, a type of antioxidant found in green tea, protect skin from the sun's damaging ultraviolet radiation and help prevent the formation of skin tumors.
Best: Drink five to six cups of green tea a day—the fresher, the better. Fresh green tea leaves have a light yellow or green color. A brownish hue indicates that the tea has undergone oxidation, which destroys antioxidants.
Tea bags and loose leaves are better than instant and bottled teas.
Drinking Coffee Reduces Risk of Gout in Men
Men who drank four to five cups of coffee a day had a 40% lower risk for developing gout than men who drank no coffee at all.
Men who drank six or more cups daily had a 59% decreased risk.
Reason: Gout—which is a painful inflammatory disease characterized by attacks of arthritis-is caused by excessive buildup of uric acid.
Coffee tends to lower uric acid levels.
Try Pomegranate Juice To Fight Prostate Cancer
Drinking 8 ounces of pomegranate juice U daily increases the doubling time of prostate specific antigen (PSA) by more than 300% (more research is needed to determine why). The longer the doubling time, the slower the tumor growth.
Extra benefit: Pomegranate juice may slow the progression of breast, testicular and lung cancers, as well as help reduce blood pressure and protect against heart disease.
