Press Releases
Heroes of Hope with Host Hugh Downs Recognizes Cancer
Research and Solutions
Heroes of Hope is producing a new series for 2009-2010
programming on Tea and Cancer Prevention.
Cancer research is taking a new turn in research. A help may
be found in an age-old remedy – tea. The antioxidants found
in tea--called catechins--may selectively inhibit the growth
of cancer. The human body constantly produces unstable
molecules called oxidants, also commonly referred to as free
radicals. To become stable, oxidants steal electrons from
other molecules and, in the process, damage cell proteins
and genetic material. This damage may leave the cell
vulnerable to cancer. Antioxidants are substances that allow
the human body to scavenge and seize oxidants. Like other
antioxidants, the catechins found in tea selectively inhibit
specific enzyme activities that lead to cancer. They may
also target and repair DNA aberrations caused by oxidants.
“It is amazing as we continue in our endeavor to find
treatments in cancer that we turn back to something people
have been drinking for thousands of years. Our series will
uncover and unlock some of the hidden medicinal benefits of
tea and how it aids the human body to fight one of today’s
most horrific diseases,” said the senior producer of the
program.
Tea drinking is an ancient tradition dating back 5,000 years
in China and India. Long regarded in those cultures as an
aid to good health, researchers now are studying tea for
possible use in the prevention and treatment of a variety of
cancers. The National Cancer Institute has researched the
benefits of green tea and come to a result: Chinese tea does
help you fight diseases. Antioxidants found in green tea may
reduce risks of certain types of cancer.
In the laboratory, studies have shown tea catechins act as
powerful inhibitors of cancer growth in several ways: They
scavenge oxidants before cell injuries occur, reduce the
incidence and size of chemically induced tumors, and inhibit
the growth of tumor cells. In studies of liver, skin and
stomach cancer, chemically induced tumors were shown to
decrease in size in mice that were fed green and black tea.
This series for Heroes of Hope will investigate some of
these medicinal helps, and demonstrate that tea is used for
more than simply “tea time.”
About Heroes of Hope
Heroes of Hope is a series on the leading edge of
documentary television industry distributed to Public
Television nation-wide and is hosted by Mr. Hugh Downs.
Utilizing global media outlets and distribution, Heroes of
Hope reaches around the globe with stories that are
documentary styled, and relevant to specific industries and
organizations that are looking for educational information.
For more information visit www.heroesofhopetv.com
No part of this information may be used without the
expressed permission of The Heroes of Hope Series and its
producers. © Copyright 2008-2009, The Heroes of Hope Series