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Boku Launches Super Matcha Green Tea

Posted by admin on March 21st, 2012 | No Comments »

OJAI, Calif., March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — New Boku Super Matcha Green Tea is a proprietary, “whole leaf” powered blend of 100% USDA organic green teas from a unique micro-climate region in Japan. It’s completely non-GMO, grown entirely without pesticides, and tested to ensure no contamination with fluoride, radiation, bacteria or heavy metals.

Boku Super Matcha Green Tea

Artificial “energy” drinks and snacks laden with sugar, stimulants and fillers face competition as consumers reach for healthier, natural alternatives. With recent studies pointing to the antioxidants in green tea as key in helping prevent cell damage that can lead to a wide variety of diseases, researchers are proving green tea’s positive effect on a wide range of health problems. Lynn Rolle, Boku Super Food CEO, predicts as American consumers become more pro-active about their health, Matcha green tea will become the “go-to” energy drink and first line of defense to power immunity and fight sickness.

“We’ve created the first-ever Matcha green tea proprietary blend, which maximizes functional ingredients like calming amino acids and powerful antioxidants, while also emphasizing Matcha’s rich, unique and satisfying flavors; the result is a delicious, powerfully functional tea that naturally optimizes energy levels without typical caffeine jitters. Matcha also stabilizes blood sugar levels and offers many other amazing health benefits,” says Rolle.

Long the secret weapon of the Samari, Ninjas and meditating Buddhist Monks, Matcha green tea is the finest tea in the world. Translated as powdered green tea — “ma” meaning powder, and “cha” meaning tea in Japanese, it is produced from shaded tea bushes and meticulously picked for the finest leaves. After drying, the entire leaf is ground with a special granite wheel, to form a fine, jade-green powder that’s added to hot water for drinking. Since the whole tea leaf is ingested, a higher potency of healthy amino acids, catechins, antioxidants and chlorophyll is delivered compared to teabags only steeped in water. Unlike acidic coffee, Matcha green tea is alkalinizing and contains anti-bacterial properties that freshen breath and help prevent tooth decay.

What makes proprietary Super Matcha Green Tea Super?

Matcha Green Tea has over 500% more antioxidants than goji berries by weight. It’s one of the highest ORAC-value superfoods known to man.

Matcha Green Tea has roughly 10 times the nutritional potency of brewed green tea.

Matcha Green Tea is well known to boost mood, enhance concentration and improve cognitive function.

Matcha Green Tea is made using the “whole leaf” of the plant, so it’s higher in chlorophyll, minerals and phytonutrients than teas only steeped in water.

Matcha Green Tea is a healthy caffeine replacement for coffee.

Matcha Green Tea is slowly stone-ground at very low temperatures. This helps leave its rich phytonutrients intact.

For more information about Boku Super Matcha Green Tea, visit www.bokugreentea.com .

Filed under Boku, Green Tea | Tags: boku tea, green tea

Green tea flavonoid may prevent reinfection with hepatitis C virus following liver transplantation

Posted by admin on December 1st, 2011 | No Comments »

German researchers have determined that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)—a flavonoid found in green tea—inhibits the hepatitis C virus (HCV) from entering liver cells. Study findings available in the December issue of Hepatology, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, suggest that EGCG may offer an antiviral strategy to prevent HCV reinfection following liver transplantation.

HCV infection can lead to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or primary liver cancer. HCV is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease and a primary indication for liver transplantation, affecting up to 170 million individuals worldwide according to estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO). Prior studies report that nearly 2% of the world population is infected with chronic HCV and up to 20% of the population in some countries.

While standard treatment with interferon with ribavirin and newer protease inhibitors may clear infection in some individuals, a substantial number of patients still may not respond to these therapies. For individuals receiving liver transplants due to complications from HCV, reinfection of the healthy donor liver remains a significant concern. Antiviral strategies that target HCV in its early stages are urgently needed to prevent graft reinfection and improve long-term outcomes for patients.

To address this critical issue, Dr. Sandra Ciesek and Dr. Eike Steinmann from the Hannover Medical School in Germany investigated the effect of the EGCG molecule, which is a major component of green tea, in preventing HCV from attaching to liver cells. “Green tea catechins such as EGCG and its derivatives epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechingallate (ECG), and epicatechin (EC) have been shown to exhibit antiviral and anti-oncogenic properties,” explains Dr. Ciesek. “Our study further explores the potential effect these flavonoids have in preventing HCV reinfection following liver transplantation.”

Results showed that unlike its derivatives, EGCG inhibits entry of HCV into liver cells. The authors suggest that EGCG may impede HCV cell entry by acting on the host cell as the green tea catechin was not found to alter the density of virus particles. Pretreatment of cells with EGCG before HCV inoculation did not reduce the infection; however application during inoculation inhibited the rapid spread of the HCV. Lastly, researchers showed that EGCG inhibits viral attachment—the initial step in the HCV infection process. “The green tea antioxidant EGCG inhibits HCV cell entry by blocking viral attachment and may offer a new approach to prevent HCV infection, particularly reinfection following liver transplantation.” concludes Dr. Ciesek.

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Full Citation: The Green Tea Polyphenol Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG) Inhibits Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Entry.” Sandra Ciesek, Thomas von Hahn, Che C. Colpitts, Luis M Schang,Martina Friesland, Jörg Steinmann, Michael P. Manns, Michael Ott, Heiner Wedemeyer, Philip Meuleman, Thomas Pietschmann and Eike Steinmann. Hepatology; Published Online: November 30, 2011 (DOI: 10.1002/hep.24610);
Print Issue Date: December 2011.

Source: Eurekalert

Filed under Green Tea | Tags: green tea, HCV, hepatitis C

Green tea may slow down weight gain

Posted by admin on October 4th, 2011 | No Comments »

Green tea may slow down weight gain and serve as another tool in the fight against obesity, according to Penn State food scientists.

Obese mice that were fed a compound found in green tea along with a high-fat diet gained weight significantly more slowly than a control group of mice that did not receive the green tea supplement, said Joshua Lambert, assistant professor of food science in agricultural sciences.

“In this experiment, we see the rate of body weight gain slows down,” said Lambert.

The researchers, who released their findings in the current online version of Obesity, fed two groups of mice a high-fat diet. Mice that were fed Epigallocatechin-3-gallate — EGCG — a compound found in most green teas, along with a high-fat diet, gained weight 45 percent more slowly than the control group of mice eating the same diet without EGCG.

“Our results suggest that if you supplement with EGCG or green tea you gain weight more slowly,” said Lambert.

In addition to lower weight gain, the mice fed the green tea supplement showed a nearly 30 percent increase in fecal lipids, suggesting that the EGCG was limiting fat absorption, according to Lambert.

“There seems to be two prongs to this,” said Lambert. “First, EGCG reduces the ability to absorb fat and, second, it enhances the ability to use fat.”

The green tea did not appear to suppress appetite. Both groups of mice were fed the same amount of high-fat food and could eat at any time.

“There’s no difference in the amount of food the mice are eating,” said Lambert. “The mice are essentially eating a milkshake, except one group is eating a milkshake with green tea.”

A person would need to drink ten cups of green tea each day to match the amount of EGCG used in the study, according to Lambert. However, he said recent studies indicate that just drinking a few cups of green tea may help control weight.

“Human data — and there’s not a lot at this point — shows that tea drinkers who only consume one or more cups a day will see effects on body weight compared to nonconsumers,” said Lambert.

Lambert, who worked with Kimberly Grove and Sudathip Sae-tan, both graduate students in food science, and Mary Kennett, professor of veterinary and biomedical sciences, said that other experiments have shown that lean mice did not gain as much weight when green tea is added to a high fat diet. However, he said that studying mice that are already overweight is more relevant to humans because people often consider dietary changes only when they notice problems associated with obesity.

“Most people hit middle age and notice a paunch; then you decide to eat less, exercise and add green tea supplement,” said Lambert.

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The National Institutes of Health supported this work.

Filed under Green Tea | Tags: green tea and weight

Green Tea Compound May Aid Brain Tumor, Genetic Disorder Research

Posted by admin on August 31st, 2011 | No Comments »

ScienceDaily (Aug. 15, 2011) — A compound found in green tea shows great promise for the development of drugs to treat two types of tumors and a deadly congenital disease. The discovery is the result of research led by principal investigator, Dr. Thomas Smith at The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and his colleagues at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

Their findings were recently published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) is found in all living organisms and is responsible for the digestion of amino acids. In animals, GDH is controlled by a complex network of metabolites. For decades it was not clear why animals required such regulation but other kingdoms did not. This was partially answered by the Stanley group’s finding that a deadly congenital disease, hyperinsulinism/hyperammonemia (HHS), is caused by the loss of some of this regulation. In this disorder, patients (typically children) respond to the consumption of protein by over secreting insulin, becoming severely hypoglycemic, often leading to death.

Using atomic structures to understand the differences between animals and plants, Dr. Smith and his colleagues discovered that two compounds found naturally in green tea are able to compensate for this genetic disorder by turning off GDH in isolated and when the green tea compounds were administered orally. The Smith lab also used X-ray crystallography to determine the atomic structure of these green tea compounds bound to the enzyme. With this atomic information, they hope to be able to modify these natural compounds to design and develop better drugs.

Interestingly, two other research groups have validated and extended these findings to demonstrate that blocking GDH with green tea is very effective at killing two different kinds of tumors; glioblastomas, an aggressive type of brain tumor, and tuberous sclerosis complex disorder, a genetic disease that causes non-malignant tumors to grow on a number of organs.

“While these compounds from green tea are extremely safe and consumed by millions every day, they have a number of properties that make them difficult to use as actual drugs. Nevertheless, our ongoing collaboration with the Stanley lab shows that there are natural compounds from plants that can control this deadly disorder and, with the atomic structure in hand, can be used as a starting point for further drug design.”

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.

Journal Reference:

C. Li, M. Li, P. Chen, S. Narayan, F. M. Matschinsky, M. J. Bennett, C. Stanley, T. J. Smith. Green Tea Polyphenols Control Dysregulated Glutamate Dehydrogenase In Transgenic Mice By Hijacking The ADP Activation Site. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2011; DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M111.268599

Filed under Green Tea, Tea Research

Mechanism discovered for health benefit of green tea

Posted by admin on June 2nd, 2011 | No Comments »

6-2-11

CORVALLIS, Ore. – One of the beneficial compounds found in green tea has a powerful ability to increase the number of “regulatory T cells” that play a key role in immune function and suppression of autoimmune disease, according to new research in the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University.

This may be one of the underlying mechanisms for the health benefits of green tea, which has attracted wide interest for its ability to help control inflammation, improve immune function and prevent cancer.

Pharmaceutical drugs are available that perform similar roles and have been the subject of much research, scientists say, but they have problems with toxicity. A natural food product might provide a long-term, sustainable way to accomplish this same goal without toxicity, researchers said.

“This appears to be a natural, plant-derived compound that can affect the number of regulatory T cells, and in the process improve immune function,” said Emily Ho, an LPI principal investigator and associate professor in the OSU Department of Nutrition and Exercise Sciences.

“When fully understood, this could provide an easy and safe way to help control autoimmune problems and address various diseases,” Ho said.

The findings have been published in Immunology Letters, a professional journal.

There are many types of cells that have different roles in the immune system, which is a delicate balancing act of attacking unwanted invaders without damaging normal cells. In autoimmune diseases, which can range from simple allergies to juvenile diabetes or even terminal conditions such as Lou Gehrig’s disease, this process goes awry and the body mistakenly attacks itself.

Some cells exist primarily to help control that problem and dampen or “turn off” the immune system, including regulatory T cells. The number and proper function of those regulatory T cells, in turn, is regulated by other biological processes such as transcription factors and DNA methylation.

In this study, OSU scientists did experiments with a compound in green tea, a polyphenol called EGCG, which is believed to be responsible for much of its health benefits and has both anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer characteristics. They found it could cause a higher production of regulatory T cells. Its effects were not as potent as some of those produced by prescription drugs, but it also had few concerns about long-term use or toxicity.

“EGCG may have health benefits through an epigenetic mechanism, meaning we aren’t changing the underlying DNA codes, but just influencing what gets expressed, what cells get turned on,” Ho said. “And we may be able to do this with a simple, whole-food approach.”

Laboratory studies done with mice, Ho said, showed that treatment with EGCG significantly increased the numbers and frequencies of regulatory T cells found in spleen and lymph notes, and in the process helped to control the immune response.

“Epigenetic regulation can be potentially exploited in generating suppressive regulatory T cells for therapeutic purposes, and is of significant clinical importance for the suppression of autoimmune diseases,” the researchers said in their study.

The research was done by scientists from OSU, the University of Connecticut, and Changwon National University in South Korea. The work was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station.

Filed under Green Tea, Tea Research | Tags: EGCG, green tea, tea health benefits, tea research

Temperature, humidity affect health benefits of green tea powders

Posted by admin on May 18th, 2011 | No Comments »

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The beneficial compounds in green tea powders aren’t as stable as once thought, according to a Purdue University study that will give industry guidelines on how to better store those powders.

“People drink green tea for health benefits, so they want the catechins to be present,” said Lisa Mauer, a professor of food science. “The instant powder beverages are becoming more popular for consumers, and it’s important to know how storage can influence nutrition of your products.”

Catechins are the source of antioxidants thought to fight heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other health problems. Green tea powders are often used as ingredients in products that are flavored like green tea or tout the health benefits of the tea. U.S. imports of green tea increased more than 600 percent from 1998 to 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Mauer found that increased temperature – and humidity, to a smaller degree – speed catechin degradation. She said it had been believed that the powders were stable below the glass transition temperature, the temperature at which an amorphous solid changes from a rigid, glassy state to a rubbery, viscous state. In that rubbery state, compounds may start reacting with each other faster due to increased molecular mobility, leading to significant chemical degradation.

But Mauer’s findings, reported in the early online version of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, showed that green tea powder degrades at lower temperatures, even below the glass transition temperature.

“Tea powders are not infinitely stable below their glass transition temperature. They degrade more slowly below that temperature, but they can still degrade,” Mauer said.

Catechin concentrations were tracked using high-performance liquid chromatography. The method involved dissolving the green tea powder into a solution, which then passed through a column. Compounds moved at different rates and could be measured.

More than 1,800 powder samples were stored at varying temperature and humidity combinations for up to 16 weeks and then measured for catechin loss. Those at the highest temperatures and humidities lost the most catechins.

From those results, models were built to predict the rates at which catechins would be lost at different storage conditions. Mauer said those in the food industry could use the models to predict the amount of catechins – and the likely health benefits – in green tea powder at the time it is used.

“Knowing what’s happening to the ingredients is extremely important for understanding the quality of a food or beverage product,” she said.

Mauer said she would next look at what the catechins become once they degrade and how those new compounds affect nutritional qualities.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the China Scholarship Council funded the research

Filed under Green Tea, Tea and Heart Disease

Steaz®, Launches Zero Calorie Iced Teaz Sweetened With Truvia® Rebiana

Posted by admin on May 15th, 2011 | No Comments »

MINNEAPOLIS, May 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Steaz®, a bestselling brand of organic green tea-based beverages and energy drinks in the United States, expands on its award-winning line of Iced Teaz with the launch of Zero Calorie Iced Teaz naturally sweetened with Truvia® rebiana, a natural and zero calorie sweetener made from the best-tasting part of the stevia leaf.

Zero Calorie Iced Teaz is the first Steaz® product line to be naturally sweetened with Truvia® rebiana, and joins current zero calorie stevia sweetened offerings, including Zero Calorie Sparkling Green Tea and Zero Calorie Energy drinks. Truvia® rebiana adds great tasting, natural sweetness to beverages without the calories of sugar.

“We are forever committed to building a healthier world by providing today’s consumer with what they have been asking for — a delicious, ready-to-drink tea with all natural ingredients and zero sugar that fuels the mind, body and soul,” said Steven Kessler, co-founder of the Healthy Beverage Company.

“Since coming to market two years ago, Truvia® rebiana has become a key ingredient in the growing number of naturally sweetened beverages, such as Steaz® Zero Calorie Iced Teaz,” said Zanna McFerson, assistant vice president, Cargill Health & Nutrition and director, Truvia® enterprise. “Consumers throughout the U.S. and Europe are demanding more low or zero calorie natural product offerings, and Truvia® rebiana is meeting that demand.”

The Zero Calorie Iced Teaz are made with organic Ceylon leaf from Sri Lanka, chosen for its unmatched flavor and delicate aroma that makes for exceptional green tea beverages. Refreshing flavor offerings include Citrus, Half/Half, Peach Mango and Raspberry. They are now available at specialty and retail stores nationwide for a suggested retail prices of $1.29-$1.49 per sixteen-ounce can.

Steaz® Zero Calorie Iced Teaz is the newest addition to the growing number of food and beverage products featuring Truvia® rebiana. This adds to a list of more than 30 beverage and food products featuring Truvia® rebiana, including Glaceau vitaminwater zero™, Coca-Cola Sprite Green™, Odwalla® Reduced-Calorie Quencher, Kraft Crystal Light® Pure, Hansen’s® Natural Lo-Cal Juices and Minute Maid Premium® Pomegranate Tea.

Just over two years on the market, the Truvia® brand continues to set the trend in the sugar substitute category. As the number two sugar substitute, Truvia® natural sweetener has achieved a 12.8 percent share of U.S. retail sales of the sugar substitutes category, surpassing Merisant’s Equal® (aspartame) for the past 16 months and Sweet’N Low for the past 12 weeks. (Source: ACNielsen Food/Drug/Mass+Wal-Mart, 4 weeks ending 3/19/11.)

About the Healthy Beverage Company and Steaz Iced Teaz®

The Healthy Beverage Company (www.steaz.com) is the maker of USDA Certified Organic and Fair Trade Certified Steaz® Organic Iced Teaz, Steaz® Sparkling Green Teas, Steaz® ZERO Sparkling Green Teas, and Steaz® Energy, named Energy Drink of the Year by BevNet.com. According to SPINSscan Natural, Steaz® is the best-selling Organic soft drink brand in the U.S., based on total dollar sales.

Steaz® beverages are sold nationally in the U.S. in natural, specialty, gourmet and food service locations. Steaz® beverages are sold in retail outlets such as Whole Foods, Kroger, Ralphs, HEB, and Ahold supermarkets.

Steaz is also sold internationally in Canada, Australia, Mexico, Europe, Latin America, South Africa and the Caribbean islands. Steaz Organic products are Certified Organic by Quality Assurance International (QAI) and are Fair Trade Certified by TransFair USA.

About Truvia® natural sweetener tabletop and ingredient
The Truvia® brand business is composed of both consumer products – Truvia® natural sweetener and the ingredient — Truvia® rebiana. Truvia® natural sweetener is a great tasting, natural, zero-calorie tabletop sweetener made with rebiana, derived from the best tasting part of the stevia leaf. Truvia® rebiana is an ingredient used to sweeten foods and beverages. For more information, visit truvia.com.

Filed under Green Tea, Ice Tea, Steaz, Sweeteners, Truvia rebiana

Chemicals in Green Tea may alter Flavor Perception

Posted by admin on April 16th, 2011 | No Comments »

(Media-Newswire.com) – ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell University researchers recently made the startling discovery that certain chemicals in green tea – and perhaps red wine – react with saliva in ways that can alter how we perceive flavors.

Specifically, regular consumption of the polyphenol-rich drinks can boost astringent sensations and our sensitivity to acids, reports Karl Siebert, professor of food science, in an article set to appear in the January 2011 print edition of the scholarly journal Food Quality and Preference.

Siebert, who worked for 18 years in a brewery before becoming an academic, stumbled upon the finding while studying the relationship between polyphenols – chemical compounds found in plants – and protein chains in drinks such as beer and apple juice. Siebert’s group discovered the strong effect of pH on cloudiness in the drinks created by polyphenols and proteins combining.

The findings led Siebert to wondered if pH levels made a difference in people’s mouths, too; and if so, why.

“We had this idea because of what we had seen before about the protein effect in beverages, and we knew that acid together with polyphenols tastes more astringent than either alone,” Siebert says.

He presented several dilute solutions of acid to a group of panelists, who rated the intensity of astringency. While most reported a mild difference, others had more dramatic sensitivity. Digging deeper, he discovered the most sensitive had been regular green tea drinkers prior to the start of the study.

He then measured the polyphenol levels in saliva of people on days before, during and after they consumed several cups of green tea. This showed that saliva normally contains polyphenols, and there are large differences among individuals. Regular red wine and green tea drinkers had the highest levels.

“It appears that there is a metabolic pool of polyphenol that is influenced by dietary habits, and that the salivary polyphenol level influences perception of astringency caused by acids,” Siebert says.

Filed under Green Tea | Tags: green tea research

Compounds in green tea that may be protective still remain in an active form after digestion

Posted by admin on April 16th, 2011 | No Comments »

(Media-Newswire.com) – It has been proposed that regularly drinking green tea could protect the brain against developing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia and could also have a role in preventing some types of cancer. Researchers at Newcastle University have shown that the compounds in green tea that may be protective still remain in an active form after digestion. The study, partly funded by a BBSRC CASE studentship, is published today in the academic journal Phytomedicine. Led by Dr Ed Okello, the Newcastle team wanted to know if the protective properties of green tea – which have previously been shown to be present in the undigested, freshly brewed form of the drink – were still active once the tea had been digested. Digestion is a vital process which provides our bodies with the nutrients we need to survive. But, says Dr Okello, it also means that just because the food we put into our mouths is generally accepted to contain health-boosting properties, we can’t assume these compounds will ever be absorbed by the body.

“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,” explains Dr Okello, based in the School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development at Newcastle University and executive director of the university’s Medicinal Plant Research Group.

“In addition to this, we also found the digested compounds had anti-cancer properties, significantly slowing down the growth of the tumour cells which we were using in our experiments.” As part of the research, the Newcastle team worked in collaboration with Dr Gordon McDougall of the Plant Products and Food Quality Group at the Scottish Crop Research Institute in Dundee, who developed technology which simulates the human digestive system. It is this which made it possible for the team to analyse the protective properties of the products of digestion. Two compounds are known to play a significant role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease – hydrogen peroxide and a protein known as beta-amyloid. Previous studies have shown that compounds known as polyphenols, present in black and green tea, possess neuroprotective properties, binding with the toxic compounds and protecting the brain cells.

When ingested, the polyphenols are broken down to produce a mix of compounds and it was these the Newcastle team tested in their latest research. “It’s one of the reasons why we have to be so careful when we make claims about the health benefits of various foods and supplements,” explains Dr Okello. “There are certain chemicals we know to be beneficial and we can identify foods which are rich in them but what happens during the digestion process is crucial to whether these foods are actually doing us any good.” Carrying out the experiments in the lab using a tumour cell model, they exposed the cells to varying concentrations of the different toxins and the digested green tea compounds.

Dr Okello explained: “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.” The next step is to discover whether the beneficial compounds are produced during digestion after healthy human volunteers consume tea polyphenols and there is provision in the BBSRC CASE studentship to take this forward.

Dr Okello adds: “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’s fair to say that at least one cup of green tea every day may be good for you and I would certainly recommend it.”

Source information: “In vitro protective effects of colon-available extract of Camellia sinensis ( tea ) against hydrogen peroxide and beta-amyloid ( A( 1-42 ) ) induced cytotoxicity in differentiated PC12 cells.” E J Okello, G J McDougall, S Kumar and C J Seal. Phytomedicine. DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2010.11.004

About BBSRC BBSRC is the UK funding agency for research in the life sciences. Sponsored by Government, BBSRC annually invests around £470M in a wide range of research that makes a significant contribution to the quality of life in the UK and beyond and supports a number of important industrial stakeholders, including the agriculture, food, chemical, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. BBSRC provides institute strategic research grants to the following: The Babraham Institute Institute for Animal Health Institute for Biological, Environmental and Rural Studies ( Aberystwyth University ) Institute of Food Research John Innes Centre The Genome Analysis Centre The Roslin Institute ( University of Edinburgh ) Rothamsted Research

Filed under Green Tea | Tags: green tea, tea research

Green tea enhances bone health and reduce inflammation in postmenopausal women

Posted by admin on April 10th, 2011 | No Comments »

Tea has for generations been an integral infusion worldwide, carrying both epicurean and economic significance. But, does it impart honest-to-goodness health benefits? In other words, is its persistence in the human diet perhaps coincident with enhanced quality (or quantity) of life?

Dr. Chwan-Li (Leslie) Shen, an associate professor and a researcher at the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, is convinced that the answer to this question is a resounding yes – especially if the tea is of the “green” variety. Green tea, historically consumed in the Orient and now an international mainstay, is chock full of compounds called polyphenols known for their potent antioxidant activity. Dozens of epidemiological (observational) studies have shown that people who consume the highest levels of green tea polyphenols (GTP) tend to have lower risks of several chronic degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. These findings have been followed up with animal studies, including some conducted by Shen, suggesting that the mechanism behind this correlation may have to do with lowering chronic levels of inflammation.

Originally from Taiwan, Dr. Shen has now spent over 2 decades studying how and why some Eastern lifestyle norms (such as drinking green tea) might be beneficial for Westerners as well. For instance, she has developed an animal model (the ovariectomized, middle-aged female rat). With this model Dr. Shen and her team can effectively study the effects of green tea consumption on protection against breakdown of the bone’s microarchitecture. In humans, this can lead to osteoporosis, a condition common to older women. It is Dr Shen’s hope that what she learns from her animal models might also be applicable to postmenopausal women.

In Shen’s most recent research, she focused on postmenopausal women and investigated the potential for green tea to work synergistically with tai chi – a traditional Chinese form of moderately intense aerobic fitness activity grounded in mind-body philosophy – in enhancing bone strength. The results of this work, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, will be presented as a poster at the Experimental Biology meetings on April 10. Carried out as a double-blind, placebo-controlled, intervention trial (the “holy grail” of scientific studies), this experiment involved 171 postmenopausal women (mean age: ~57 y) who had weak bones but not full-fledged osteoporosis. Subjects were divided into 4 groups:

Placebo: starch pill (placebo) and no tai chi
GTP: green tea polyphenols (500 mg/day) and no tai chi
Placebo+TC: starch pill and tai chi (3 times/week)
GTP+TC: green tea polyphenols and tai chi

The study lasted for 6 months, during which time blood and urine samples were collected and muscle strength assessed.

The results show that consumption of GTP (at a level equivalent to about 4-6 cups of steeped green tea daily) and participation in tai chi independently enhanced markers of bone health by 3 and 6 months, respectively. A similar effect was found for muscle strength at the 6-month time point. Participants taking tai chi classes also reported significant beneficial effects in quality of life in terms of improving their emotional and mental health. Perhaps most remarkable, however, was the substantial effect that both GTP and tai chi had on biological markers of oxidative stress. Because oxidative stress is a main precursor to inflammation, this finding suggests that green tea and tai chi may help reduce the underlying etiology of not only osteoporosis, but other inflammatory diseases as well.

Dr. Shen and colleagues concluded that there is a “favorable effect of modest green tea consumption on bone remodeling in this pre-osteoporotic population” and hope to soon complete a more long-term study utilizing more technically savvy measures of bone density.

Perhaps C.S. Lewis was correct – it’s tea time!

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Dr. Chwan-Li Shen (Texas Tech University), Dr. Ming-Chien Chyu (Texas Tech University), Dr. James K. Yeh, Dr. Yan Zhang (Texas Tech University), Dr. Barbara Pence (Texas Tech University), Dr. Carol Felton (Texas Tech University), Dr. Jean-Michel Brismee (Texas Tech University), Mr. Raul Dagda (Texas Tech University), Mrs. Susan Doctolero (Texas Tech University), Mrs. Mary Flores (Texas Tech University), and Dr. Jai-Sheng Wang (University of Georgia) were coauthors on this paper.

Filed under Green Tea

Korean Tea Exhibition at Penn State Tea Institute

The Penn State Tea House is a fully functional student run Chinese Tea House, Open Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 12:15 - 2:30pm.

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Korean Tea Exhibition at Penn State Tea Institute

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