A chemical compound called epigallocatechin gallate showed much promise by killing cancerous cells during a phase 2 clinical study.

According to a study performed by researchers from the Mayo Clinic, the extract of the world-popular green tea has been effective in regulating the growth and proliferation of cancer cells in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).  The study was classified as a phase two human clinical trial, and the results were very promising indeed.

Epigallocatechin gallate vs. cancer cells

The compound epigallocatechin gallate was shown to have the ability to kill cancer cells in patients with CLL.  The compound prevented the cancer cells from surviving, thereby effectively reducing the total cancer cell count. The first phase of the human clinical trial of epigallocatechin gallate also showed similar, positive results.

What does this all mean?  According to one of the Mayo researchers, Dr. Tait Shanafelt, the two clinical trials show that epigallocatechin gallate showed some promise in stabilizing or normalizing the condition of patients with CLL.  While the compound is not classified as a definitive cure for the condition, it shows promise in slowing down the progress of the medical condition.

Instead of a cure, Mayo clinic researchers state that the compound should be viewed as a cancer preventive rather than cancer cure. And there was a catch: the patients that were subjected to the nutraceutical treatment were patients who had early signs of CLL (not advanced stage CLL).

The study involved thirty-six respondents and resulted in a fifty percent reduction of leukemia cell count at the end of the human clinical trial.  Including the patients from the first clinical trial, the total number of CLL patients involved in the study is forty-two.  A third clinical trial is needed before the Mayo Clinic researchers can make a definitive recommendation regarding the use of epigallocatechin gallate for CLL sufferers.

Other benefits of green tea

Tea is the second most drunk beverage in the world (right next to water). It contains natural antioxidants and caffeine (50% less than regular coffee).  And did I mention that it’s good for you for a lot of reasons?  It’s more than just a cancer preventive.  Here are some more health benefits of drinking green tea:

1. According to a study published by the American Medical Association, 40,000 respondents (from Japan; all of them drank up three cups of green tea per day) showed no evidence of cardiovascular anomalies and coronary heart problems since the study started back in the year 1994.  Not one individual from the 40,000 strong group developed any cancer, too!

2. Drinking green tea reduces the risk of dying from heart disease by twenty six percent (for males).  For women, drinking three to five cups of the precious elixir reduced the risk of dying from heart attacks and other cardiac problems by a staggering thirty-one percent.

3. Having chronic problems with sleep apnea (disturbances during sleep) and poor sleep quality, generally?   Reach for green tea.  US studies found out that chemical compounds in green tea can help prevent cognitive troubles resulting from poor sleep.

4. If you have trouble memorizing for school, don’t drink soda.  Instead, make yourself a nice, warm green tea brew.  There is no reason not to enjoy this beverage as it now comes in many natural flavors, like blueberry, cinnamon, etc.

All you have to do is choose your favorite flavor and use a French press to make an instant cup of tea.  Or you can just buy tea bags and allow the tea to infuse itself into the water for a few minutes.  I recommend this and that’s how I make my green tea.  The longer you keep the teabag in the hot water, the stronger the tea.

You can also add a bit of cinnamon to make the tea more interesting.  Since tea has caffeine, it can also help keep you more alert and awake when working or studying.   Green tea also has theanine, which has been shown to have beneficial effects in that region of the human brain that is responsible for alertness.

5. Suffering from poor immunity against common illnesses like the flu and the common cold?  Green tea is rich in chemical compounds called polyphenols, which can help boost your immune system.  Polyphenols can also help slow down aging by reducing the oxidative stress that the body experiences from free radicals.  Polyphenols are capable of disabling free radicals in the body.

6. Substituting polyphenol-rich beverages like green tea for soda and the like can also reverse the spike in body weight.  Because green tea doesn’t have much sugar, it does not contribute much to your weight (apart from its water content).  If you are having trouble with ‘water weight’, then all you have to do is to sip on the green tea during the day instead of downing a whole cup in one go.  But don’t forget: being well-hydrated is more important.  Also, water helps the body lose weight by helping in better digestion and also by helping the body burn calories more efficiently.

7. According to researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the antioxidants present in green tea can also penetrate the tissues in the eyes and do a world of good there.  Increased antioxidant activity in any body tissue has always been linked to decreased inflammation and healthier tissues and cells.

8. All kinds of tea come from the same camella plant – and tea always has more than ten times the amount of antioxidant chemicals than regular vegetables and fruits.  So drink up!  Green tea can also help prevent dangerous blood clots from forming in veins and arteries (which can lead to heart attack and stroke).  You also reduce the risk for atherosclerosis when you drink plenty of tea, say Dr. John Weisburger, the US’s pro-tea champion and veteran researcher (who is also, incidentally, already eighty two years old!)

Cancer prevention

In the spirit of global cancer prevention, here are some easy steps that you can prevent different types of cancer.

Prostate Cancer

• In a European study, it was discovered that regular intake of legumes and other vegetables lowered the risk of prostate cancer over the long term.
• Nutrients like vitamin D, isoflavanoids and selenium can help reduce prostate cancer by stopping the chemical processes that can lead to the formation of cancer cells.

Skin Cancer

• Increase your intake of antioxidants prior to sun exposure or take an umbrella with you when going out into the direct heat of the sun for a long period of time!
• Beta-carotene has been linked to reduced risk of developing cancerous skin cells.

Lung Cancer

• Long term tobacco smoke has been linked to lung cancer – so stop the habit before it leads to something much, much worse than just stained teeth.
• Regular exercise produces a protective effect on the body – including the respiratory system. Get enough exercise to strengthen your breathing apparatus.

Sources:
sciencedaily.com
blogs.webmd.com
blogs.webmd.com
webmd.com
webmd.com
webmd.com
webmd.com
webmd.com

German researchers find improved fat oxidation when men combine EGCG with caffeine.

From improving arthritis symptoms to preventing heart disease, heightening eye health to discouraging Alzheimer’s disease development, green tea is the libation of choice for health aficionados.  Yet as multifaceted a drink green tea is, could encouraging weight loss be added to its repertoire?  German researchers sure think so.

A team of researchers from Berlin’s University Medicine recruited 10 middle-aged men who, besides being obese, were generally healthy.  They broke the 10 men into groups of two and randomly assigned them to take an allotted amount of EGCG, some in high doses, others in low doses.  EGCG is the antioxidant compound in green tea believed to make it such a nutritional powerhouse.

One of the cooler aspects of this study is that all the men got a turn in taking a specific amount of EGCG.  In other words, instead of taking a specific amount of EGCG for the length of the study period, the men would take 300 mg of EGCG for three days, then go off for seven days, then pick up their EGCG regimen for another three days.  But instead of taking the same amount as last time, they’d take 600 milligrams.  Then go on to another group 10 days later.  So by the end of the study, all 10 men had gone through the five regimens.

(To be honest, I wish more studies were set up like this.  It makes the results of the study more reliable.)

By the end of the study, the researchers found increases in fat oxidation across the spectrum.  Compared to the time in which they took a placebo for three days, fat oxidation increased 33 percent (300 mg of EGCG daily), 20 percent (600 mg of EGCG daily), 34.5 percent (200 mg of caffeine), and 49 percent (200 mg of caffeine combined with 300 mg of EGCG).

What’s interesting is that there was greater fat oxidation when the men took the lower EGCG combination as compared to the high EGCG combination.  So apparently the Goldilocks rule applies to EGCG—not too much, not too little, but an amount that’s “just right” works for weight loss.

The question, of course, is how many drinks of green tea must one guzzle in order to see any significant weight loss?

Researchers say it may be as few as three drinks or as many as 10 drinks…per day!  Now, as much as I like to drink tea, I don’t have the time, nor the inclination to drink that amount of green tea every day!

But that as it may, the very fact that I could lose weight by drinking that amount of green tea every day illustrates just how amazing a drink green tea is.

The study is published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Sources:
nutraingredients.com

Study shows that green tea may be help prevent bone loss.

I’m no Wall Street tycoon or stockbroker, but if you have any money in the stock market, you might want to diversify your portfolio by investing in green tea.

Every week there seems to be a new study out about its array of health benefits, whether its improving brain power, battling Parkinson’s disease, healing an ailing heart (not a broken heart, mind you, but a heart burdened by poor circulation due to high cholesterol levels), or easing the painful side effects of arthritis.

And a new study from the University of Hong Kong adds to green tea’s catalog of curative powers, as green tea may help prevent bone loss.

Osteoporosis is one of the more common health problems in the world today.  To give you an idea of just how common, it’s second only to heart disease in overall healthcare costs for the estimated 200 million people affected by it.

Researchers discovered its bone-building benefits when they fed lab rats EGC – not to be confused with EGCG – a tea compound and polyphenol that runneth over in green tea (EGC is in other teas as well, like black tea, but in small amounts compared to green tea).  Approximately 30 to 40 percent of green tea is made up of EGC, short for epigallocatechin.

Their analysis indicated that not only did the rats’ bones form more osteoblasts, but fewer osteoclasts formed.  Similar to the variation between stalagmites and stalactites – where one letter makes all the difference – osteoblasts build up bones, while osteoclasts bore away at bones, rendering them more brittle and frail .

The study, published in the online addition of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, is the first of its kind to link green tea consumption to bone building.  And as per usual, more studies on green tea and bone building are scheduled.

As aforementioned, osteoporosis is a huge problem for millions of people, aging women, especially.  And while osteoporosis is a condition almost exclusive to men and women 50 years of age and over (one in three 50 y/o women and one in five 50 y/o men will experience a fracture due to osteoporosis in their lifetime, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation), young people can and should take action now to prevent future fractures.

Besides “boning” up on green tea, other nutritional prevention measures include keeping alcohol consumption to a minimum (excessive drinking leads to bone loss), supplementing with quality dairy calcium sources (like organic yogurt and raw milk) and quality vegetable sources.  Some of the best sources for calcium include kale, cabbage, watercress, and broccoli.

In addition to vegetables, studies have shown that diets high in protein are associated with a low risk for osteoporosis development.

Finally, exercise is a huge factor in preventing bone loss.  And it doesn’t necessarily have to be weight training or walking.  A 1995 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that people who practice tai chi have nearly 50 percent fewer falls than those who don’t and also have greater bone density.  Who knew?

Sources:
iofbonehealth.org
nutraingredients.com