Green tea extract may help fight hypoxia!
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The main extract from green tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) has been shown to improve oxygen flow to tissues deprived of adequate supply, claims new research from South Korea.
Hypoxia occurs when oxygen supply to tissue or the whole body is restricted. If cells are denied oxygen for too long they die, a process called apoptosis. The most well known form of hypoxia is altitude sickness, which can occur when travelers go above an altitude of 1,829 to 2,438m.
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"Hypoxia is known to have an important role in a number of pathophysiological process, including wound healing, cardiovascular-related disease and cancer," explained lead author Hae Jeong Park from the Kyung Hee University in Seoul.
EGCG from green tea has been linked to a variety of health benefits including protection against Alzheimer's and certain cancers. However, the FDA recently released a report that said the anti-cancer effects of green tea were 'highly unlikely'.
The new study, published online in the journal Life Sciences , looked at the effect of EGCG on hypoxia-induced apoptosis for human hematoma cells.
Cells were exposed to varying concentrations of the tea extract (12.5, 25, 50, 100 micromoles) and the number of live cells tested.
In the control cell culture, 40% of cells died due to lack of oxygen. In the test groups, cell death was decreased for all EGCG concentrations. Exposure to 12.5 micromoles of EGCG reduced cell death by 10%, while all cells were still alive after exposure to 100 micromoles of EGCG.
The mechanism was proposed to be due to EGCG preventing the expression of a certain enzyme called caspase 3, which plays a important role in programmed cell death.
"EGCG markedly inhibited the apoptosis by hypoxia; it contributed to the haematoma cells survival by attenuating hypoxia-induced apoptosis," concluded Park.
Green tea is the type that's most often studied and heralded for its nutritional value. The antioxidant called epigallocatechin-3-gallate gets the most attention.
Many analysts agree that the antioxidant levels of teas are promising, but more research needs to be done to form a conclusion - not only on tea's definite health benefits, but also on which tea might be the most healthful.
"We're in the midst of all this wonderful research going on," says Nellie Wixom, program director of the nutrition and weight management center at the UR 's School of Nursing. "But we still need to have more data before we make any recommendations. |
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"But I think tea is definitely something that people can include in their diets without being too concerned about the negative effects," she adds.
Studies have also suggested that tea's health benefits include a possible reduction in the risks of developing gastric, breast, bladder, colon, rectal, esophageal and skin cancers, among others, he adds.
Other studies also suggest that green tea might burn more calories and fat. Still, the results are preliminary.
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Although the health professionals agree that more research is needed to determine the exact benefits of tea, they do note that tea could help in weight management.
They are at the same time, not saying to drink tea and skip fruits. They're really promoting a more balanced diet of more fruits and vegetables and whole grains - and foods low in fat and saturated fat - while encouraging the antioxidants to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, and tea is a potential source of that. |
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