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On Green Tea...
There are TONS of articles and research done on green tea... this seem to be a true power tool for lots of health issues!!!
Strongest Antioxidant Found in Tea(REUTERS By E.J. Mundell) -- September, 1999 --Anyone for a steaming hot cup of antioxidants? One expert says tea leaves contain the strongest known form of the disease-fighting compounds.
"Our research shows that green tea contains a powerful antioxidant, known as epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG," said Dr. Lester Mitscher, distinguished professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. EGCG is the "strongest of all" the antioxidants he's aware of -- more than 100 times as effective at soaking up free radicals than vitamin C, and 25 times more powerful than vitamin E. Mitscher put various teas -- green, black, and oolong -- through tests designed to spot the presence of antioxidants. Green teas have, by far, the highest concentrations of active EGCG, Mitscher said. "Green tea is plucked at the appropriate time and then is immediately steamed," he explained. "That heat process prevents the internal oxidation of these compounds."
He said oolong and black tea leaves are allowed to oxidize during processing. This oxidization greatly reduces the amount of active EGCG in those teas. Black tea, for example contains just 40% of the EGCG of green tea. The daily tea consumption needed for optimum antioxidant effects has "not really been firmly established," Mitscher said. But he points out that in countries like China and Japan, "people customarily drink 4 or more cups (of green tea) per day." Studies in those populations reveal "a lower incidence of ...degenerative diseases," he said. "That's probably a healthy dose. We don't know that one cup (per day) wouldn't work, but that's really not been established.
Prostate cancer and green tea
(MAYO CLINIC) -- January 12, 1999 -- Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among U.S. males. It is the second leading cause of cancer death — trailing only lung cancer — in that group. Researchers have known for years that the incidence of prostate cancer is considerably lower in Asian countries. One possible explanation advanced by scientists is the high consumption of plant foods among Asian populations. Another is the growing number of laboratory studies indicating that green tea — the most popular tea in China, Japan and other Asian countries — has anti-tumor effects.
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Green tea polyphenols are potent antioxidants, especially in the brain. Some studies show that the polyphenols most prevalent in green tea (the catechins) are far more potent in suppressing free radicals than vitamins C or E.
Green tea can kill bacteria. Taking green tea with meals may reduce the risk of bacterial food poisoning. Drinking green tea may kill oral bacteria that cause cavities and bad breath. Green tea also is effective against a strain of staph that has become antibiotic-resistant. Green tea promotes the growth of friendly bifidobacteria in the intestine and prevents the growth of dangerous intestinal bacterial strains such as clostridia and E. coli.
The polyphenols in green tea suppress the production of an uremic toxin (methylguanidine) to improve the clinical appearance of the kidney after renal failure. A human study showed that the toxic compound methylguanidine decreased significantly one month after the administration of green tea polyphenols. Six months later, the mean methylguanidine level was about 70% of what it had been at the initiation of treatment.
The Japanese drink green tea to suppress foul breath caused by certain foods. The deodorizing effect of green tea leaves has been known for centuries, and tea leaves traditionally have been used as deodorants. A study demonstrated the deodorizing action of green tea polyphenols in a test against methyl mercaptan, the compound most closely associated with halitosis. Green tea also has been shown to suppress bad smells produced by trimethylamine and ammonia.
Green tea inhibits several viruses, including viral hepatitis. And, while high stores of iron preclude successful treatment of hepatitis C, green tea lowers iron levels throughout the body and may have a direct anti-viral effect against certain strains of the hepatitis C virus. Thus, green tea is highly recommended for hepatitis patients who may have too much iron in their livers. Further, iron interacts with the hepatitis B and C viruses to generate free radicals that cause cirrhosis of the liver. Excessive iron in the liver also precludes successful treatment with ribavirin and interferon.
Strongest Antioxidant Found in Tea(REUTERS By E.J. Mundell) -- September, 1999 --Anyone for a steaming hot cup of antioxidants? One expert says tea leaves contain the strongest known form of the disease-fighting compounds.
"Our research shows that green tea contains a powerful antioxidant, known as epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG," said Dr. Lester Mitscher, distinguished professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas. EGCG is the "strongest of all" the antioxidants he's aware of -- more than 100 times as effective at soaking up free radicals than vitamin C, and 25 times more powerful than vitamin E. Mitscher put various teas -- green, black, and oolong -- through tests designed to spot the presence of antioxidants. Green teas have, by far, the highest concentrations of active EGCG, Mitscher said. "Green tea is plucked at the appropriate time and then is immediately steamed," he explained. "That heat process prevents the internal oxidation of these compounds."
He said oolong and black tea leaves are allowed to oxidize during processing. This oxidization greatly reduces the amount of active EGCG in those teas. Black tea, for example contains just 40% of the EGCG of green tea. The daily tea consumption needed for optimum antioxidant effects has "not really been firmly established," Mitscher said. But he points out that in countries like China and Japan, "people customarily drink 4 or more cups (of green tea) per day." Studies in those populations reveal "a lower incidence of ...degenerative diseases," he said. "That's probably a healthy dose. We don't know that one cup (per day) wouldn't work, but that's really not been established.
Prostate cancer and green tea
(MAYO CLINIC) -- January 12, 1999 -- Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among U.S. males. It is the second leading cause of cancer death — trailing only lung cancer — in that group. Researchers have known for years that the incidence of prostate cancer is considerably lower in Asian countries. One possible explanation advanced by scientists is the high consumption of plant foods among Asian populations. Another is the growing number of laboratory studies indicating that green tea — the most popular tea in China, Japan and other Asian countries — has anti-tumor effects.
More...
Green tea polyphenols are potent antioxidants, especially in the brain. Some studies show that the polyphenols most prevalent in green tea (the catechins) are far more potent in suppressing free radicals than vitamins C or E.
Green tea can kill bacteria. Taking green tea with meals may reduce the risk of bacterial food poisoning. Drinking green tea may kill oral bacteria that cause cavities and bad breath. Green tea also is effective against a strain of staph that has become antibiotic-resistant. Green tea promotes the growth of friendly bifidobacteria in the intestine and prevents the growth of dangerous intestinal bacterial strains such as clostridia and E. coli.
The polyphenols in green tea suppress the production of an uremic toxin (methylguanidine) to improve the clinical appearance of the kidney after renal failure. A human study showed that the toxic compound methylguanidine decreased significantly one month after the administration of green tea polyphenols. Six months later, the mean methylguanidine level was about 70% of what it had been at the initiation of treatment.
The Japanese drink green tea to suppress foul breath caused by certain foods. The deodorizing effect of green tea leaves has been known for centuries, and tea leaves traditionally have been used as deodorants. A study demonstrated the deodorizing action of green tea polyphenols in a test against methyl mercaptan, the compound most closely associated with halitosis. Green tea also has been shown to suppress bad smells produced by trimethylamine and ammonia.
Green tea inhibits several viruses, including viral hepatitis. And, while high stores of iron preclude successful treatment of hepatitis C, green tea lowers iron levels throughout the body and may have a direct anti-viral effect against certain strains of the hepatitis C virus. Thus, green tea is highly recommended for hepatitis patients who may have too much iron in their livers. Further, iron interacts with the hepatitis B and C viruses to generate free radicals that cause cirrhosis of the liver. Excessive iron in the liver also precludes successful treatment with ribavirin and interferon.
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