| -A discovery is said to be an accident meeting a | | | | How Do They Work? |
| prepared mind, Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi (1893 - | | | | Green tea polyphenols have corroborated several |
| 1986) | | | | cancer preventive properties. In addition to |
| Or as I like to say... When the student is ready, | | | | antioxidant activity, these compounds may as |
| the teacher shall appear! By the way, have I said | | | | previously mentioned have shown to reduce |
| how much I passionately enjoy green tea, the | | | | abnormal cell growth and inflammation; help the |
| personal benefits I have witnessed from green | | | | body get rid of cancer-causing agents; and |
| tea and what a fantastic unearthing this 'ancient | | | | restore communication between different cells in |
| medicine' is for modern western living? | | | | the body. |
| After a good deal of research, I have found that | | | | On Cancer... The Facts |
| there isn't any other food or drink in general | | | | The relationship between green tea consumption |
| consumption reported to have the innumerable | | | | and human cancer has been studied in several |
| health benefits that green tea possesses...none! | | | | different populations and at various cancer sites. |
| The Chinese have known about the medicinal | | | | Some of the studies comparing green tea |
| benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it | | | | drinkers to non-green tea drinkers support the |
| to treat everything from headaches and lethargia | | | | claim that green tea-drinking, in fact prevents |
| to depression. And did you know that green tea | | | | certain types of cancer. Certain dietary, |
| has been used as a medicine in China for over | | | | environmental, and population differences may |
| 4,000 years... When will we westerners learn? | | | | account for these discrepancies. In animal studies, |
| At present, in both Asia and America, scientific | | | | different tea extracts, tea polyphenol mixtures, |
| research is providing a more than solid | | | | purified tea components, and tea infusions as the |
| substantiation for the health benefits long | | | | sole drinking fluid have more consistently been |
| associated with drinking green tea. For instance, in | | | | shown to prevent cancer, including cancers of the |
| 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute | | | | colon, esophagus, liver, stomach, lung, breast, |
| published the results of an epidemiological study | | | | pancreas, and skin. The purified component, |
| demonstrating that drinking green tea reduced the | | | | epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), prevented colon |
| risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and | | | | cancer, but did not prevent cancer of the |
| women by nearly sixty percent. Conversely, | | | | esophagus in animal models. A polyphenol mixture |
| University of Purdue researchers recently | | | | with EGCG, called Polyphenon E, has also shown |
| concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits | | | | cancer preventive properties in animals. Animal |
| the growth of cancer cells. There is also research | | | | studies were inconclusive as to whether EGCG or |
| indicating that drinking green tea lowers total | | | | Polyphenol E caused DNA mutations that might |
| cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of | | | | trigger cancer growth. Both EGCG and Polyphenon |
| good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol. | | | | E are being tested for safety and efficacy in |
| To abridge just a few of the medical conditions in | | | | humans. |
| which drinking green tea has proved to be | | | | Slower Prostate Cancer Cell Growth Found From |
| helpful:impaired immune system | | | | Consumption Of Green And Black Tea |
| functioncardiovascular diseasecancerrheumatoid | | | | A study at The Experimental Biology 2004, in |
| arthritiselevated cholesterol levelsnumerous types | | | | Washington, D.C., reported as part of the scientific |
| of infectionsmuscle wasting diseases | | | | program of the American Society of Nutritional |
| Green tea's 'secret' lies in the fact it is rich in | | | | Sciences, anti-tumor effects of green and black |
| catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin | | | | tea polyphenols in human tissue. And researchers |
| gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: | | | | at the University of California at Los Angeles |
| besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills | | | | found and were able to detect tea polyphenols in |
| cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has | | | | prostate tissue after a very limited consumption |
| also been exceedingly effective in lowering LDL | | | | of the tea. More notably, the scientists found that |
| cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal | | | | prostate cancer cells grew more slowly when |
| formation of blood clots. The preceding takes on | | | | placed in a medium containing blood serum of men |
| added importance when you consider that | | | | who had consumed either green or black tea for |
| thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood | | | | five days compared to serum collected before |
| clots) is the foremost cause of heart attacks and | | | | the men began their tea-drinking regimen. Serum |
| stroke. Quite startling, don't you think? | | | | from men who drank comparable amounts of |
| For The Record Books... | | | | diet or regular soda showed no such slowing in |
| Correlates are being drawn between the effects | | | | cancer cell proliferation. |
| of drinking green tea and the "French Paradox." | | | | Consequently, Dr. Susanne Henning, UCLA Center |
| For years, researchers were mystified by the | | | | for Human Nutrition, pronounced that the UCLA |
| fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in | | | | research team - a combination of nutrition |
| saturated fat, the French have a lower incidence | | | | scientists and urologists - focused on the feasible |
| of heart disease than Americans. The answer | | | | outcome of tea polyphenols on factors named |
| was found to lie in red wine, which contains | | | | polyamines and the enzymes responsible for the |
| resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative | | | | production of polyamines. Elevated levels of |
| effects of smoking and a fatty diet. In a 1997 | | | | polyamines have been connected with malignancy |
| study, researchers from the University of Kansas | | | | in humans, including prostate cancer, and - since |
| concluded that EGCG is twice as powerful as | | | | polyamines are current in prostate tissue in high |
| resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of | | | | concentration - are considered a logical target for |
| heart disease among Japanese men is significantly | | | | chemoprevention of prostate cancer. |
| low, even though in excess of seventy-five | | | | Prostate cancer is one of the most widespread |
| percent are smokers. | | | | cancers among males in the United States, and |
| So why don't other Chinese teas have similar | | | | more than a fourth of all those patients with |
| earth-shaking health benefits? Green, oolong, and | | | | prostate cancer are known to use alternative |
| black teas all come from the leaves of the | | | | therapies, including green tea. This study suggests |
| Camellia sinensis plant. What sets green tea apart | | | | that both black and green tea are promising |
| is the way it is processed.In particular, green tea | | | | natural dietary supplements useful for |
| leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG | | | | chemoprevention of prostate cancer, according to |
| compound from being oxidized. By contrast, black | | | | Dr. Henning. She plans to investigate if this effect |
| and oolong tea leaves are processed from | | | | can be enhanced by consuming larger amounts of |
| fermented leaves, which results in the EGCG | | | | tea polyphenols in the form of green tea extract |
| being transformed into other compounds that are | | | | supplement capsules. |
| not nearly as effective in preventing and fighting | | | | So If It's That Good, How Much Should I Drink? |
| various conditions and diseases. | | | | Strangely enough, there are as many answers to |
| Some Additional Benefits... | | | | this question as there are researchers |
| The latest evidence emerging is that green tea | | | | investigating the beneficial properties of green tea |
| can even help dieters attain success more rapidly | | | | and polyphenols. Herbs for Health magazine |
| an efficiently. In November, 1999, the American | | | | mentions a Japanese report citing that men who |
| Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of | | | | drank ten cups of green tea per day stayed |
| a study at the University of Geneva in | | | | cancer-free for three years longer than men who |
| Switzerland. Researchers found that men who | | | | drank less than three cups a day (there are |
| were given a combination of caffeine and green | | | | approximately 240 - 320 mg of polyphenols in |
| tea extract burned more calories than those | | | | three cups of green tea). |
| given only caffeine or a placebo. | | | | Meanwhile, a study by Cleveland's Western |
| Incidentally, green tea can even help prevent | | | | Reserve University concluded that drinking four or |
| tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities | | | | more cups of green tea per day could help |
| can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the | | | | prevent rheumatoid arthritis, or reduce symptoms |
| bacterium that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, | | | | in individuals already suffering from the disease. |
| skin preparations containing green tea - from | | | | And Japanese scientists at the Saitama Cancer |
| deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on | | | | Research Institute have discovered that there |
| the market showing positive effects. | | | | were fewer recurrences of breast cancer, and |
| The Potential Unsafe Effects? | | | | the disease spread less quickly, in women with a |
| As of today, the only adverse side effect | | | | history of drinking five cups or more of green tea |
| reported from drinking green tea is mild insomnia | | | | daily. |
| due to the fact that it contains caffeine. On the | | | | A University of California study on the |
| other hand, green tea contains much less caffeine | | | | cancer-preventative qualities of green tea |
| than coffee and most soda: there are | | | | concluded that you could probably attain the |
| approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six | | | | desired level of polyphenols by drinking merely |
| - eight ounces of tea, compared to over | | | | two cups per day. So which is it? I personally |
| one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee and | | | | don't buy the hype that those that manufacture |
| can you imagine the huge contrast in caffeine | | | | and sell green tea products are |
| content between green tea and these 'new' | | | | propagating...moderation is, like with all things |
| high-tech energy drinks that are currently being | | | | probably your best bet! But given all the evidence, |
| consumed by the masses with such ravenous | | | | it is almost certainly safe to plan on drinking four |
| voracity. | | | | to five cups of green tea daily. If you're a real |
| Green Tea Polyphenols, What Are They You | | | | aficionado, by all means imbibe more; but whether |
| Ask? | | | | or not you'll derive added health benefits remains |
| Specifically, tea polyphenols are compounds in tea | | | | to be determined. |
| leaves that are natural plant antioxidants. | | | | Okay, enough science... Let's all just relax and |
| Antioxidants have been proven to prevent | | | | have a cup of green tea or if you like your |
| damage caused by free radicals to DNA and | | | | beverages cold like I do, a glass of 'iced' green |
| other molecules. | | | | tea. |