New study using human fibroid cells supports use of green tea compound as treatment for uterine fibroids

Medical Xpress / Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine / Scientific Reports ^ | July 13, 2023 | Md Soriful Islam et al

[ConservativeMind]

In a pre-clinical, proof-of-concept study, researchers found that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a green tea compound with powerful antioxidant properties, could be promising for both treating and preventing uterine fibroids.

An estimated 77% of women will develop fibroids in their lifetime, most of them by age 50. Black and Hispanic women develop them at 1.5 to two times the rate of white women.

While many people with uterine fibroids are without symptoms, about 25% experience significant symptoms including heavy uterine bleeding, pelvic pain and infertility. Uterine fibroids are the leading cause of hospitalization hysterectomy. In addition to complete removal of the uterus, surgical treatment may include various means of removing fibroid tumors from the uterine wall.

For the new study, researchers used laboratory cultures of uterine fibroids collected from living patients. Because uterine fibroid cells have a large extracellular matrix (the network of macromolecules and minerals in tissues that support, but are not part of, cells) compared to normal cells, researchers designed their experiments to see if treatment of cells with EGCG affects protein expression associated with this matrix. Specifically, they studied fibronectin, a matrix protein; cyclin D1, a protein involved with cell division; and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) protein.

Cells were dosed with 100 micromoles (a micromole is 1 millionth of a mole) per liter of EGCG in growth media for 24 hours.

They found that EGCG reduced protein levels of fibronectin by 46% to 52%, compared with an untreated control group of fibroid cells. They also found that EGCG disrupted pathways involved in fibroid tumor cell growth, movement, signaling and metabolism, and they saw up to an 86% decrease in CTGF proteins compared with the control group.

[ConservativeMind]

Multiple earlier small studies have shown EGCG can help reduce fibroid size. Doses have been from 150 mg of EGCG with a couple other items, to 400 mg, a day, and each approach reduced fibroids between 33% to even 70%, in just three to four months.

A couple of those who did the 400 mg of EGCG did have mildly elevated liver enzymes, which reversed when they stopped taking EGCG, as I recall.

EGCG is a real help for women with fibroids. You could take 3-4 cups of green tea a day, and come close to 150 mg of EGCG, as I recall.

[ConservativeMind]

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[ptsal]

Green tea is amazing.