Study suggests green tea effective on HPV-related warts

NEW YORK A study published in the June issue of the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology has found that the green tea extract sinecatechins is useful for treating genital and anal warts.

The study found that 57 percent of patients who received ointment containing 10 or 15 percent sinecatechins were cleared of warts, compared to 34 percent of patients in the control group. Warts in at least three quarters of patients were cleared by at least 50 percent, compared to about half of patients in the control group.

The study examined 502 adults with between two and 30 warts over a 16-week period or until warts cleared.

Genital warts are caused by the human papillomavirus, also known as HPV and increase the risk of cervical cancer in women.