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Green tea's health benefits could be more powerful than previously suspected
AST Sports Science
Green tea's ability to fight cancer and provide other health benefits is even more potent than scientists initially suspected. A group of researchers have recently discovered that a component in green tea can shut down one of the key molecules in our DNA thought to trigger cancer.
Green tea has been linked for some time to strong anti-cancer effects as well as other purported abilities such as preventing rheumatoid arthritis, lowering cholesterol, and fat loss but scientists still do not know how the substance provides these benefits.
Initially, it was presumed that green tea's antioxidants prevented free radical damage in cells. However, a research team at Rochester's Environmental Health Science Center, have discovered that green tea's health benefits may be achieved via an even more potent mechanism.
Compounds such as tobacco smoke and other environmental pollutants manipulate molecules in our DNA that "switch on" cancerous mutations. Green tea contains compounds called epigallocatechingallate (EGCG) and epigallocatechin (EGC) that bind to the aryl hydrocarbon (AH) receptor on these cancerous mutations. Thus inhibiting proliferation and essentially stopping cancer dead in its tracks.
The EGCG and EGC are flavonoids similar to that found in broccoli, cabbage, grapes and red wine. These chemicals were shown to shut down the AH receptor in cancerous mouse cells, and early results indicate the same is true in human cells as well.
The AH-inhibiting effects of green tea become evident when EGCG and EGC reach levels typical of those found in a cup of green tea. This could help explain why some survey studies show that people who drink green tea are less likely to develop cancer.
Drinking green tea on a regular basis may well be the most effective (and economical) safeguard against one of the biggest killers known to man.
Source: Chemical Research in Toxicology 16;7:865 ?872, 2003.
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