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Sip Your Way to Optimal Health With Green Tea

Chiropractors, like Dr. Christiana, are committed to promoting foods with preventive powers and healthy alternatives to potentially harmful food products, such as soft drinks and coffee. That's why Dr. Christiana is spreading the word about the newly discovered health benefits of green tea - via this newsletter. Glorious Green Green tea is a virtual fountain of youth. It has the power to protect against heart disease, lower the risk of several forms of cancer, reduce the crippling effects of rheumatoid arthritis, settle upset stomachs, fight off age-related skin changes, reduce inflammation of the gums and help dieters lose weight. No, it's not magic. It's nature. Like the black and oolong varieties, green tea is cultivated from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. However, unlike its leafy relatives, it does not undergo the chemical process of oxidation - the means by which much of tea's healing chemicals, called polyphenols, are destroyed. The polyphenols in tea are referred to as flavonols or catechins. The catechins that are particularly abundant in green tea include epicatechin, epicatechin-3-gallate, epigallocatechin and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (Altern Med Rev 2000;5:372-5). Brew a Cancer Cure Scientists have long observed that populations who drink green tea enjoy lower rates of several forms of cancer. Research in mice shows that green tea protects against cancers of the lung, intestines, esophagus, pancreas, liver, breast, colon and skin (Am J Clin Nutr 2000;71: 1698S- 702S). Additional evidence reveals that green tea may fight non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (Leukemia 2000;14:1477-82). How does this ancient health tonic curb the spread of malignancy? The catechins in tea fight cancer at several steps of its development, including suppressing the signals that trigger cancer cell initiation. So, in essence, green tea halts cancer before it even begins! A Cup a Day May Keep Heart Disease At Bay Cutting-edge research reveals that drinking green tea can slash the risk of heart disease, especially in men. In one Japanese study, 302 men and 210 women underwent an imaging test called coronary arteriography to determine the severity of plaque in their heart's arteries (a conditional known as arteriosclerosis). Men who consumed green tea were significantly less likely to have arteriosclerosis. When researchers looked at a subgroup of 262 men, they found that those who drank two to three cups of green tea per day were at half the risk of arterial plaque, compared with non-tea drinkers (Ann Epidemiol 2000;10:401-8). Ironically, green tea did not have the same effect on the female test subjects. Sip Away That Spare Tire With all the weight loss fads vying for dieter's attention, it's easy to see why most individuals are unaware of the potential slimming benefits of green tea. Research conducted at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, reveals that green tea boosts the metabolic rate of those who drink it, in turn allowing tea drinkers to bum additional calories. What's more, green tea appears to speed up the rate at which fat is burned. "But isn't the bolstered metabolism of green-tea drinkers due to caffeine in the tea?" you may be thinking. "No," say scientists. As part of one experiment, 10 healthy men ate a standard "American" diet consisting of 40 percent fat. In addition, the men took one of three treatments: green tea extract containing caffeine, caffeine by itself or a placebo capsule. Subjects who took green tea with or without caffeine experienced an elevated metabolic rate. On the other hand, those who took caffeine alone did not burn additional fat (Am J Clin Nutr 1999;70:1040-45). Anti-Arthritis Brew "The study suggests a preventive approach to rheumatoid arthritis. A slight modification in your lifestyle - adding green tea to your diet - could reduce your risk of this disease," said chief investigator Tariq M. Haqqi. Here's a fun strategy to fend off arthritis pain: Throw a tea party. Studies in mice suggest that green tea may prevent rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In one experiment, 18 mice were given a daily serving of polyphenols equivalent to that found in four cups of green tea. A control group of 18 mice was also established. Although 94 percent of mice in the control group developed RA, only 44 percent of mice in the polyp he no I-drinking group developed the disease. And, mice with RA that drank polyphenols tended to have a less severe form of the disease, compared with control mice (Proc Natl Acad Sci 1999; 96:4524-9). Ongoing research also indicates that drinking green tea may provide relief for patients with osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis found in humans. Tummy Tonic Mom knew instinctively that tea soothes tummy trouble. And she was right. Scientific studies now show that green tea wards off chronic gastritis, the relentless intestinal upset that may lead to stomach cancer. In one study of 636 inhabitants of a rural village in Japan, investigators determined that subjects who drank 10 or more cups of green tea per day were a third less likely to develop chronic gastritis, compared with their peers who drank little or no tea (J Epidemiol 2000; 1 0:31 0-6). Skin Smoother Green tea is the latest trend in skin care, as evidenced by the recent explosion of skin products listing green tea extract among their contents. In fact, department store cosmetic counters are brimming with green tea-emiched soaps, creams, lotions, foundations and lipsticks. Dermatologists speculate that green tea's powerful antioxidant properties may ward off age-related skin changes such as wrinkles, spots and flaccidity (Arch Dermatol 2000; 136:989-94). And, scientific studies indicate that treatments containing green tea prevent sun damage and skin cancer (Clin Cancer Res 2000;6:3864-9). To find out more about the skinsmoothing benefits of green tea and homemade recipes for skin tonics, pick up a copy of The Book of Green Tea by Diana Rosen (Storey Books, 1998). Look to Your Chiropractor for Late-Breaking Health News As a prevention specialist, your doctor of chiropractic works diligently to keep up-to-date with the latest information in health and nutrition, including research about the health benefits of green tea and other foods. Learn more about how to achieve optimal heath by making an appointment for a chiropractic consultation today!

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