Skin cancer can be classified as basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma, according to histological characteristics. The effect of tea polyphenols on Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in melanoma cell lines has been reported. One cup of green tea contains up to 200 mg of EGCG, which has been shown to have chemopreventive/chemotherapeutic effects against several types of cancers.
Both green and black teas contain abundant amounts of polyphenolic antioxidants and it has been shown that theaflavins in black tea and catechins in green tea are equally effective antioxidants.
Study published in Cancer Biology & Therapy concluded that black tea is a better chemopreventive agent than green tea against skin tumorigenesis. (Cancer Biol Ther 2009; 8:1281-7)
Research published in European Journal of Cancer shows data from 767 non-Hispanic Whites under age 40 was evaluated to understand the effects of tea, coffee, and caffeine on the early-onset of basal cell carcinoma. Inverse relationship was found to be associated with combined regular consumption of caffeinated coffee plus hot tea with early-onset of basal cell carcinoma. There was 43% reduced risk of basal cell carcinoma in people consuming the highest category of caffeine from these sources as compared with non-consumers. (Eur. J. Cancer Prev. 2014, 23, 296–302)
Polyphenols are the major active compounds present in teas. The catechins are the major polyphenolic compounds in green tea, which include epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin, epicatechin-3-gallate and epicatechin, gallocatechins and gallocatechin gallate. EGCG is the predominant and most studied catechin in green tea.
Drinking tea associated with low risk of skin cancer
