Links to Health References
“Green tea” on a product label does NOT mean green tea catechins are in the product.
Beneficial Green Tea catchins (anti-oxidants) are highly unstable. How do you know which products have the real green tea anti-oxidant activity? (more)
Green Tea Could Be Good for Your Skin, Study Finds
But can green tea really be good for your skin? An article published in the August issue of the Archives of Dermatology says yes -- in theory. (more)
Green Tea Brewing Up Healthy Skin
Specific to the Skin
"Sun, gravity, free-radical damage and a poor diet take their toll on healthy, youthful-looking skin," say Mitscher and Dolby. They note that change in the skin, with its short life span, is the first sign of problems in nutrition. "On the one hand, nutrient deficiencies soon produce skin problems, on the other hand, proper nutrition can have a quick and powerful effect on correcting problems." Antioxidants, and specifically the polyphenols in green tea, protect the skin in several ways. Healthy collagen and elastin are necessary to preserve a youthful look, but are easily damaged by free radicals, contributing to an older facial appearance. Flavonoids prevent damage to collagen and elastin, keeping skin stronger, smoother and more elastic. In other words, less wrinkled. "Among the polyphenols in green tea, EGCG and ECG show the strongest effect in reducing collagenase activity," say Mitscher and Dolby.8
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Green Tea Ingredient, EGCG, Significantly Inhibits Breast Cancer Growth In Female Mice
ScienceDaily (Apr. 8, 2008)Green tea is high in the antioxidant EGCG (epigallocatechin-3- gallate) which helps prevent the body’s cells from becoming damaged and prematurely aged. Studies have suggested that the combination of green tea and EGCG may also be beneficial by providing protection against certain types of cancers, including breast cancer. A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Mississippi researchers now finds that consuming EGCG significantly inhibits breast tumor growth in female mice. (more)
Cup Of Green Tea To Keep The Bacteria Away
ScienceDaily (Jan. 16, 2007)Beneficial effects of green tea have been known for millenia, particularly in Asian cultures. An ancient Chinese proverb says: "Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one". A cup of green tea contains up to 200 mg of catechins, whose biological activity has been mainly attributed to its antioxidant activity. Efficiency of green tea extract in oral hygiene has been known for centuries and this gave researchers a clue that antibacterial activity might be involved. (more)
Tea Extracts Help Treat Damaged Skin In Cancer Patients
ScienceDaily (Dec. 1, 2006)Tea extracts work as an effective treatment for patients who suffer from damaged skin following radiation treatment for cancer. Researchers show that this might partly be due to the anti-inflammatory properties of tea. (more)
Consumption Of Green Tea Associated With Reduced Mortality In Japanese Adults
ScienceDaily (Sep. 13, 2006)Adults in Japan who consumed higher amounts of green tea had a lower risk of death due to all causes and due to cardiovascular disease, according to a study in the September 13 issue of JAMA. But there was no link between green tea consumption and a reduced risk of death due to cancer. (more)
Green Tea Linked To Skin Cell Rejuvenation
ScienceDaily (Apr. 25, 2003)Research into the health-promoting properties of green tea is yielding information that may lead to new treatments for skin diseases and wounds. (more)
Probing the Benefits of Green Tea
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (November 2006)"The polyphenols in green tea have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties," said Katiyar, "but more importantly, they enhance the production of interleukin-12, which has a role in DNA repair. If green tea polyphenols can repair DNA, then they can prevent skin cancer." (more)
