Green Tea consumption reduces Cardiovascular Diseases, study shows!
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Increased daily intake of green tea appears to reduce the risk of allcause and cardiovascular disease mortality, but no correlation was seen for cancer mortality rates, according to a new population study out of Japan . Results of the Ohsaki National Health Insurance Cohort Study, which included 40,530 Japanese adults, were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association
Study participants were followed for up to 11 years for all-cause mortality and up to seve years for cause-specific mortality; green tea consumption was gauged from questionnaires that also tracked other habits including diet, alcohol and tobacco use, weight and physical activity. In the all-cause phase, 4,209 participants died, while in the cause specific seven-year segment, 892 participants died of cardiovascular diseases and 1,134 of cancer. |
The inverse association with cardiovascular disease mortality was greater than that with all-cause mortality, and the association with all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality was stronger in women than in men. Women who drank five or more cups of green tea daily had a 31-percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases than women who drank less than one cup daily; five cups daily dropped the risk of stroke mortality in women by 62 percent and all-cause mortality by 23 percent. In men, those consuming five or more cups of green tea daily dropped their all-cause mortality rate by 12 percent, cardiovascular disease death rate by 22-percent and stroke mortality incidence by 42 percent. Hazard ratios of cancer mortality were not significantly different in other consumption groups.
Under normal circumstances, HIV does its dirty work via an "envelope" or surface protein called gp120, which locks into a special "pocket" on the surface of susceptible host cells called CD4 T-cells. After that fusion, HIV releases its genetic material into the healthy cell. The infected cell then begins churning out the next generation of viruses.
But not if the green tea-derived molecule plugs up that pocket, leaving HIV no way to get inside.
Baylor pediatrics instructor Dr. Christina Nance, research supervisor for allergy and immunology at Texas Children's Hospital, said she and her colleagues used a fairly new approach involving nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. That method allowed them to "see" structures by which EGCG, gp120 and CD4 molecules bind together. Participating in the research were Dr. Theron McCormick and Dr. William Shearer from Baylor, and Mike Williamson of the University of Sheffield .
Using spectroscopy, Nance and her colleagues observed the frequencies emitted by the hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen atoms that make up the molecules they are studying. They paired the CD4 molecule with the HIV surface protein gp120, then paired the CD4 molecule with green tea's EGCG.
Frequency data fed into a computer produced a molecular model showing EGCG and HIV shared the same "binding pocket" on the CD4 T-cell.
"One of the promising factors is, that because this is a small molecule and binds to the same exact binding pocket as (HIV's) gp120, it may not inhibit the (normal) function of the CD4 molecule," Nance said.
Nance found the amount of EGCG needed to inhibit HIV progression in the laboratory was the equivalent of the amount achieved by drinking two cups of green tea.
Much more research is needed to move Nance's observation toward drug development.
In the meantime, Nance doesn't recommend that people chug large quantities of green tea in hopes of preventing infection with HIV.
"It would be part of a cocktail of drugs," Nance said. Current HIV treatment consists of multiple drugs, or "cocktails" that block different parts of the virus's life cycle. |
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Green Tea Benefits Trivia:
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EGCG or epigallocatechin gallate is the most abundant antioxidant catechin in green tea. It is found in high amounts in this beverage as the green tea leaves undergo very minimal amounts of oxidation. EGCG in green tea has exceptional anti-inflammatory and immune strengthening properties. Read more about EGCG here. Green tea is often classified as one of the so-called 'superfoods' due to its wealth of health-boosting components that may help fight a wide array of ailments and diseases. 'Superfood' is the term used to describe foods with high antioxidant and phytonutrient content. Go here to find a list of 'superfoods'. Vitamin C is said to help the body absorb more of the antioxidant content of green tea. New studies have shown that taking citrus juices, like those of oranges and lemons, along with green tea enable more of the tea's antioxidants to remain after the digestion process is completed. Read more about Vitamin C here. Antioxidants in green tea help fight the ravages of free radicals that are seen as the source of many of today's debilitating diseases. Did you know that aside from the catechins that are so abundant in green tea, there are many other types of antioxidants? Discover them all here. Green tea is said to help in lowering calories and fighting fat. This seeming ability to aid in weight loss is attributed to the polyphenols found in the beverage. Read more about green tea's fat-fighting abilities here. The Japanese and the people from the Meditteranean have some of the world's longest life expectancy rates. And while the Japanese look to green tea as their favorite after-meal drink, the Mediterranean peoples love to have red wine after their meals. Green tea and red wine? Could any two beverages be any more different? Discover what makes red wine a healthy drink when taken in moderation here. The quality of the water used to brew the tea is very important. It is believed that the water used must be free of contaminants and contain enough oxygen to enhance the natural flavor of the tea. Teas made with pure water yield a crisp flavor and a clear brew that is aesthetically pleasant. Learn more about the health benefits of water here.
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