The new work, by John Hopkins Medicine, targets the antioxidant compound epigallocatechin gallate, commonly known under the acronym EGCG.
The EGCG compound in green tea may help fight "incurable" tumors that 77% of women may experience.
Research shows that EGCG not only helps reduce the risk of tumor forms in general through drinking green tea, but also has the potential to help develop a drug that helps treat and prevent uterine fibroids, a disease with an incidence of up to 77% in women.
"The goal is to test how EGCG works to treat and prevent uterine aborts. There are no tools to stop their development, so finding a safe non-surgical therapy is critical," said Dr. James Segars from John Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the scientists investigated the effects of EGCG on 3 proteins involved in tumor formation and growth in utero, showing that it reduced the concentration of these types by 46% to 86% compared to the control group.
These effects will have a powerful effect on "locking in" growing tumors, as well as potentially helping to create a drug that is more effective than a natural supplement for people in risk groups.
An average of 77% of women will develop uterine fibroids in their lifetime, with some communities of color having particularly high rates.
Although this is a benign tumor, about 25% of uterine fibroids will have symptoms such as heavy uterine bleeding, pelvic pain, and infertility.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this is the leading cause of women having a hysterectomy.
Meanwhile, EGCG in recent years has been considered a potential compound for medicine, because of its extremely strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
