Over the years many studies have been done in an attempt to confirm some of the health benefits that have been attributed to green tea and elucidate the mechanisms by which this may occur for a variety of different health concerns.
Here are some of the leading research reports that have appeared:
Green tea may help autoimmune disease- from Oregon State University. A study was published in
Immunology Letters with the title Induction of regulatory T cells by green tea polyphenol EGCG.
One of the beneficial compounds found in green tea has a powerful ability to increase the number of “regulatory T cells” that play a key role in immune function and suppression of autoimmune disease. This may be one of the underlying mechanisms for the health benefits of green tea which has attracted wide interest for its ability to help control inflammation, improve immune function and prevent cancer.
Emily Ho, one of the lead researchers, an associate professor in the OSU Department of Nutrition and Exercise Sciences says, “This appears to be a natural, plant-derived compound that can affect the number of regulatory T cells, and in the process improve immune function. When fully understood, this could provide an easy and safe way to help control autoimmune problems and address various diseases,”
There are many types of cells that have different roles in the immune system, which is a delicate balancing act of attacking unwanted invaders without damaging normal cells. In autoimmune disease this process malfunctions and the body mistakenly attacks itself. 10.1016/j.imlet.2011.04.009
Pharmaceutical drugs are available that perform similar roles and have been the subject of much research, scientists say, but they have problems with toxicity. A natural food product might provide a long-term, sustainable way to accomplish this same goal without toxicity. THe research team explained,
“Epigenetic regulation can be potentially exploited in generating suppressive regulatory T cells for therapeutic purposes, and is of significant clinical importance for the suppression of autoimmune diseases.” lhttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110602143214.htm
Some cells exist to help control that problem and dampen or “turn off” the immune system, including regulatory T cells. The number and proper function of T cells is regulated by other biological processes such as DNA methylation. In this study, OSU scientists did experiments with a compound in green tea, the polyphenol called EGCG, which has both anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. They found that it may cause a higher production of regulatory T cells. Its effects were not as potent as some of those produced by prescription drugs, but it also causes few concerns about long-term use or potential toxicity.
Team member Emily Ho says, “EGCG may have health benefits through an epigenetic mechanism, meaning we aren’t changing the underlying DNA codes, but just influencing what gets expressed, what cells get turned on. And we may be able to do this with a simple, whole-food approach.”
Laboratory studies done with mice showed that treatment with EGCG significantly increased the numbers and frequencies of regulatory T cells found in spleen and lymph nodes, and in the process helped to control the immune response.The research was done by scientists from OSU, the University of Connecticut, and Changwon National University in South Korea. The work was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station.
Other studies:
A compound found in green tea, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which has been studied for possible benefits in Alzheimer’s disease, may also dissolve potentially dangerous plaque found in circulatory system.Professor David Middleton from Lancaster University, says, “The health benefits of green tea have been widely promoted and it has been known for some time that EGCG can alter the structures of amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Our results show that this intriguing compound might also be effective against the types of plaques which can cause heart attacks and strokes.” Professor Sheena Radford, co-author of the research, says,“The findings of this round of studies are very encouraging. We now need to apply the best scientific techniques to find how we can take the molecular EGCG element from green tea, and turn it into a functioning tool to combat life-limiting health issues.” https://drsobo.com/drink-green-tea-for-prevention-of-heart-attack-and-stroke/
The latest thinking about dementia in the scientific community is that cognitive impairment can be seen as “Diabetes Type 3”, because an abnormal handling of glucose in the brain seems to be one of the underlying mechanisms which promotes dementia, just as impaired glucose regulation in the body is an essential component of the common disorder known as Diabetes Type 2.
A study published by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology shows that drinking green tea may help fight brain glucose dysregulation, obesity and memory impairment. The active ingredient in green tea, EGCG (epigallocatechin-3-gallate), alleviates the effects of a high-fat and high-fructose diet known to promote cognitive impairment. Researcher Xuebo Liu, Ph.D.,of the Northwest A&F University in Yangling, China says, “Green tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world after water, and is grown in at least 30 countries, “The ancient habit of drinking green tea may be a more acceptable alternative to medicine when it comes to combating obesity, insulin resistance, and memory impairment.” There have been a number of research reports regarding green tea’s health benefits in the past, and with regard to this study Thoru Pederson, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal says, “Many reports, anecdotal and to some extent research-based, are now greatly strengthened by this more penetrating study.” https://drsobo.com/study-shows-how-green-tea-helps-combat-obesity-and-dementia/
A compound found in green tea may help kill oral cancer cells while leaving healthy cells alone.
Researchers are attempting to understand how the compound EGCG, the major polyphenol found in green tea, targets the cancer cells. Joshua Lambert, Penn State professor explains that the research just reported in the online journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research, shows that EGCG triggers a process in the mitochondria of cancer cells that leads to cell death. The EGCG did not cause this reaction in normal cells. In fact, it appeared to increase the protective capabilities of the cell.
In this study the researchers grew the normal and cancer cells in the lab, and then exposed them to EGCG. Oxidative stress and antioxidant markers were measured. “We also took a lot of pictures, so we could use fluorescent dyes that measure mitochondrial function and oxidative stress and actually see these things develop,” said Dr. Lambert.The researchers hope to create anti-cancer treatments that are effective without the harmful side effects. https://drsobo.com/green-tea-ingredient-target-protein-kill-oral-cancer-cells/
There have been a number of studies published over many years regarding the beneficial effect of green tea and its active component ECGC for cancer prevention and possibly for treatment as well. A study published in the journal Metabolomics, showed the mechanism by which ECGC disrupts the metabolism of cancer cells in pancreatic cancer. This study found that ECGC suppresses an enzyme called LDHA which is crucial in cancer cell’s metabolism and growth. As a mechanism of treatment of cancer this would be a unique way of fighting cancer and open up new avenues for research. The studies’ lead researcher Dr. Wai-Nang Lee of the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute states, “By explaining how green tea’s active component could prevent cancer, this study will open the door to a whole new area of cancer research and help us understand how other foods can prevent cancer or slow the growth of cancerous cells. Now we understand how cancer cell metabolism can be disrupted, and we can examine how we can use this knowledge to try to alter the course of cancer or prevent cancer.” One can only hope that this research into a natural substance will be afforded the research dollars needed to advance our knowledge of this potentially life saving substance. Green tea has been shown to have other benefits as per our last blog on the subject. https://drsobo.com/green-tea-cancer-prevention-treatment/
Researchers at the University of Basel have published a study in the journal Psychopharmacology, which found that green tea extract enhances memory and other cognitive functioning. What the researchers found was that communication between different areas of the brain, a function called “connectivity” was enhanced by green tea. They showed this by doing MRI studies of the brain which revealed that electrical activity was enhanced in such a manner as to show that the “connectivity” between the parietal area and the frontal cortex was enhanced.
One of the lead researchers Prof. Stefan Borgward states, “Our findings suggest that green tea might increase the short-term synaptic plasticity of the brain.” The implications of this study are enormous. The possibility that anything that is as safe and inexpensive as green tea may help millions of people who may be at risk for, or may now be developing a decline in their mental faculties, needs to be further studied and the results widely publicized as this is a major public health concern in the US and internationally.
https://drsobo.com/green-tea-emnhance-smemory-acoording-research/
