Green tea has been proven to contain anti-carcinogenic properties based on many epidemiological studies. These studies have shown lower rates of many types of cancer among habitual green tea drinking populations such as Japan and China. Recently, further controlled studies on green tea extract have identified polyphenol (-)- epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) as the responsible component. EGCG can produce apoptosis in cells and inhibit tumor formation.