A green tea extract may help to slow down the advancement of the most general form of leukemia, according to research from the Mayo Clinic presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

The researchers studied 43 patients suffering from early stage chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CCL). The patients were given an extract of epigallocatechin galeate (EGCG), an antioxidant belonging to the Catechin family. 

Over two-thirds of the participants showed a major cell decrease in leukemia cell counts. One-third saw a decrease of 20% in the number of cancerous cells in the blood, while 70% of patients with enlarged lymph nodes saw a 50% reduction in the size of the nodes.