How green tea prevents Alzheimer, cancer, by researchers

DRINKING, or better yet digestion and the
body ’s ability to absorb key elements of
green tea, may play a vital role in aiding the
brain to fend off the development of
Alzheimer ’s disease and cancer.
According to a new study published in
Phytomedicine, regular drinking of green
tea could also help protect brain cells from
being damaged.
Researchers tested the effect of a
component of green tea, CAGTE once it had
been digested, to see how it affected a key
protein in Alzheimer ’s disease. The study
showed that at high concentrations, CAGTE
protected the cells from the toxic effects of
the protein amyloid-beta.
Alzheimer’s Society said: “ This study adds
to previous research that suggests green
tea might help to reduce the risk of
Alzheimer ’s disease. However, the
researchers used a far higher dose of the
active green tea chemical than would ever
be found in the human body. More research
is needed to see whether green tea is
protective at a much lower dose, and to
understand the mechanism involved.
“Antioxidants, found in fruits, vegetables
and green tea, should be part of a normal
healthy diet. Research has shown that the
best way to reduce your risk of developing
dementia is to eat a healthy diet with plenty
of fruit and vegetables. ”
Another study by the Newcastle University
scientists corroborates the Alzheimer
prevention capacity of green tea.
Dr. Ed Okello of Newcastle University, the
executive director of the university ’s
Medicinal Plant Research Group team
explained: “What was really exciting about
this study was that we found when green
tea is digested by enzymes in the gut, the
resulting chemicals are actually more
effective against key triggers of Alzheimer’s
development than the undigested form of
the tea.
“ In addition to this, we also found the
digested compounds had anti-cancer
properties, significantly slowing down the
growth of the tumor cells which we were
using in our experiments. ”
Green tea is tea made solely with the leaves
of Camellia sinensis that have undergone
minimal oxidation during processing. Green
tea originates from China and has become
associated with many cultures in Asia from
Japan and South Korea to the Middle East.
Recently, it has become more widespread in
the West, where black tea is traditionally
consumed.
Over the last few decades, green tea has
been subjected to many scientific and
medical studies to determine the extent of
its long-purported health benefits, with
some evidence suggesting that regular
green tea drinkers have lower chances of
heart disease and developing certain types
of cancer.
Although green tea does not raise the
metabolic rate enough to produce
immediate weight loss, experts say green
tea extract containing polyphenols and
caffeine has been shown to induce
thermogenesis and stimulate fat oxidation,
boosting the metabolic rate four per cent
without increasing the heart rate.
Okello said: “ The digested chemicals
protected the cells, preventing the toxins
from destroying the cells. We also saw them
affecting the cancer cells, significantly
slowing down their growth.
Green tea has been used in traditional
Chinese medicine for centuries and what we
have here provides the scientific evidence
why it may be effective against some of the
key diseases we face today.
“There are obviously many factors, which
together have an influence on diseases
such as cancer and dementia - a good diet,
plenty of exercise and a healthy lifestyle are
all important. But I think it is fair to say that
at least one cup of green tea every day may
be good for you and I would certainly
recommend it.”