Is Green Tea the next Miracle Drug?
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Can a cup of green tea really keep the doctor away?
From promises of preventing cancer to relieving stress, green tea seems to be the hottest cure-all on the grocery store shelves.
And while most researchers say green tea should not be considered a miracle solution for any ailment you can think of, a growing body of research points to some very real health benefits. |
Green tea contains chemicals that experts say may help combat cancer and cardiovascular diseases. While there are no comprehensive studies proving a tangible health improvement simply from consuming tea, most doctors say the antioxidants and flavonoids present in tea are known for their health benefits. Drinking a few cups a day, they say, certainly can`t hurt.
'The help might be manifested maybe over years and years,' Edward Geltman, a cardiologist at Washington University`s School of Medicine, told United Press International. 'It`s not going to replace' treatment.
One recent article published in the May issue of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons compiles data from more than 100 studies that look at the health benefits of green tea, including the potentially cancer-fighting antioxidants and heart-healthy flavonoids that naturally occur in the beverage. |
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'Part of my confidence in this is based on the fact that (the makeup of green tea) really fits in with a number of other nutrients that are being used and have been associated with health benefits,' Bauer Sumpio, Yale University cardiologist and the study`s lead author, told United Press International.
Sumpio and colleagues from Yale call their findings the 'Asian paradox' -- people living in countries throughout Asia smoke cigarettes heavily but have significantly lower occurrences of cardiovascular problems than their American counterparts.
The cause, the researchers say, may be the 'liters' of green tea people throughout the continent drink every day.
'I was really impressed by the fact that when you go (to Asia ) you see people drinking green tea all the time,' Sumpio said. 'They always have this thing of green tea and they just keep pouring hot water into and they drink it all day long.'
But drinking such a significant amount of caffeinated tea may be dangerous for patients with existing cardiovascular problems. Geltman said he tells his patients with serious heart problems to stop consuming caffeine entirely. Decaffeinated tea, however, loses the antioxidants that many say make the beverage so healthy.
'Even though the caffeine level (in green tea) is 40 percent of that of coffee, that translates to a significant amount of caffeine' if patients are drinking at least a liter each day, Geltman said.
The U.S. Food Drug Administration is not so sure about the health benefits of tea, however.
In May, the FDA prevented one tea company from putting labels on their packages espousing the cardiovascular benefits of drinking their product.
'FDA concludes there is no credible evidence to support qualified health claims for green tea or green tea extract and a reduction of a number of risk factors associated with' cardiovascular disease, wrote Barbara Schneeman, the director of the FDA`s Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling and Dietary Supplements. Her letter denied a petition from Ito En (North America) requesting to be allowed to label its tea packages with the beverage`s purported cardiovascular benefits.
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Representatives from the tea industry, however, insist that they are not selling their product based on any clinically proven benefits. Tea is only a naturally healthy drink, not a drug.
'There is a growing body of evidence that suggests it might be a very healthy addition to your diet,' said Joe Simrany, president of the Tea Association of America. But 'if consumers don't like the taste of tea, regardless of how good it is for you, they`re not going to drink it.' |
Report by Mara Gordon
UPI
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