Green tea is being studied as a treatment for uterine fibroids, according to scientists in the U.S. Their findings were published on January 14 in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Uterine fibroids, which affect 40% of women of reproductive age, cause excessive vaginal bleeding, anaemia, fatigue and lack of energy. Currently, hysterectomy is the only treatment option.
Green tea extract can kill human leiomyoma cells in tissue cultures and can eradicate fibroid lesions in lab animals, according to Dr Ayman Al-Hendy, director of clinical research at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, and colleagues.
“If we can prove this compound is effective, millions of women can start self-treatment and self-management,” Al-Hendy said in a news release.