Tea In The News

Tea & Stress

A study by University College London (Oct. 2006) revealed that people who drank tea after stressful events were able to de-stress more quickly than those who did not drink tea. The researchers discovered that black tea lowers the levels of cortisol, a harmful stress hormone, by a significant average of 47 percent.

Green Tea, Antioxidants & Flavonoids
Erica Wald, RD, a wellness coordinator with the MFit Health Promotion Division at the University of Michigan Health System says, "Drink tea green tea. If you like to drink tea, consider choosing green tea instead of black, oolong or other darker teas. Green tea next to white tea packs the biggest punch when it comes to antioxidants. It also contains flavonoids, a class of naturally occurring plant compounds that function as antioxidants that are good for the heart."

Tea & Skin Cancer
The American Cancer Society estimated that 2006 would bring with it 1 million new diagnoses of skin cancer in the United States.

Santosh Katiyar, Ph.D., an associate professor in dermatology, is convinced that the rich polyphenol content found in green tea is the most potent tumor-inhibitor found in nature. His studies show that an antioxidant called epigallocatechin-3-gallae (EGCG), which is found in green tea, appears to protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation-induced damage and prevent skin tumor formation.

"I've found that green tea, whether applied topically or taken orally, is certainly beneficial in the area of cancer prevention, at least in laboratory animal models," Katiyar says. "Green tea prevents UV radiation-induced suppression of the immune system, which has been considered as a risk factor for the development of skin cancer."

Katiyar recently had articles published in Cancer Research and Clinical Cancer Research that stated EGCG prevents UV-induced skin cancer in mice. This is complicated stuff, but basically through the enhancement of an immunoregulatory cytokine interleukin-12-dependent DNA-repair device, the interleukin-12 molecule has the ability to repair UV-induced DNA damage," Katiyar says. "The polyphenols in green tea have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but they enhance the production of interleukin-12. And if the interleukin-12 can play a role in DNA repair, then they can prevent skin cancer."

"It's crucial that people consume the tea on a regular basis to achieve the maximum benefits," Katiyar says. "Constant, regular consumption will be helpful in preventing skin cancer."

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