Scientists believe they now know exactly why polyphenols, such as those found in red wine and green tea, inhibit cancer growth. The antioxidants produce a combined effect to disrupt an important cell signaling pathway necessary for prostate cancer growth.

The SphK1/S1P signaling pathway plays a role both in prostate cancer and in other cancers such as colon cancer, breast cancer, and gastric cancers.

Eurekalert reports:

“Scientists conducted in vitro experiments which showed that the inhibition of the sphingosine kinase-1/sphingosine 1-phosphate (SphK1/S1P) pathway was essential for green tea and wine polyphenols to kill prostate cancer cells ... Human prostate cancer cells were implanted in the mice and results showed a dramatic decrease in tumor size in the mice drinking the EGCG or polyphenon E mixtures.”