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FDA Rejects Health Claim For Green Tea
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The Federal Bullshit Administration
As the FDA usually does, they simply confuse the issue:
"A health claim, in the language of the FDA, characterizes the relationship between a substance and a reduction in the risk of contracting a particular disease."
Green Tea does not reduce the risk of a particular disease. It simply helps provide the body with antioxidants and energy so that it can help heal itself.
To say it has no health benefit is like saying fruits, vegetables and nuts have no health benefits either. All of these things help aid in the protection of certain diseases in the body but they're not magical. Neither is Green Tea, but it does increase anti-oxidants and energy to the body.
As the FDA usually does, they simply confuse the issue:
"A health claim, in the language of the FDA, characterizes the relationship between a substance and a reduction in the risk of contracting a particular disease."
Green Tea does not reduce the risk of a particular disease. It simply helps provide the body with antioxidants and energy so that it can help heal itself.
To say it has no health benefit is like saying fruits, vegetables and nuts have no health benefits either. All of these things help aid in the protection of certain diseases in the body but they're not magical. Neither is Green Tea, but it does increase anti-oxidants and energy to the body.
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2006
- Messages
- 305
On the subject of green tea this was posted on another board but I don't remeber who put it together!
Is any other food or drink reported to have as many health benefits as green tea? The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. In her book Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life, Nadine Taylor states that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for at least 4,000 years.
Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.
To sum up, here are just a few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful:
cancer
rheumatoid arthritis
high cholesterol levels
cariovascular disease
infection
impaired immune function
What makes green tea so special?
The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.
Links are being made between the effects of drinking green tea and the "French Paradox." For years, researchers were puzzled by the fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in fat, the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than Americans. The answer was found to lie in red wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers.
Why don't other Chinese teas have similar health-giving properties? Green, oolong, and black teas all come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. What sets green tea apart is the way it is processed. Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized. By contrast, black and oolong tea leaves are made from fermented leaves, which results in the EGCG being converted into other compounds that are not nearly as effective in preventing and fighting various diseases.
Other Benefits
New evidence is emerging that green tea can even help dieters. In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.
Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market.
Harmful Effects?
To date, the only negative side effect reported from drinking green tea is insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine. However, green tea contains less caffeine than coffee: there are approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six - eight ounces of tea, compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee.
How much Green Tea should you drink?
There are as many answers to this question as there are researchers investigating the natural properties of green tea. For example, Herbs for Health magazine cites a Japanese report stating that men who drank ten cups of green tea per day stayed cancer-free for three years longer than men who drank less than three cups a day (there are approximately 240 - 320 mg of polyphenols in three cups of green tea). Meanwhile, a study by Cleveland's Western Reserve University concluded that drinking four or more cups of green tea per day could help prevent rheumatoid arthritis, or reduce symptoms in individuals already suffering from the disease. And Japanese scientists at the Saitama Cancer Research Institute discovered that there were fewer recurrances of breast cancer, and the disease spread less quickly, in women with a history of drinking five cups or more of green tea daily.
It gets more confusing. A University of California study on the cancer-preventative qualities of green tea concluded that you could probably attain the desired level of polyphenols by drinking merely two cups per day. On the other hand, a company selling a green tea capsule formula insists that ten cups per day are necessary to reap the maximum benefits.
How can you make sense of these conflicting claims? Given all the evidence, it is probably safe to plan on drinking four to five cups of green tea per daily. If you're a real devotee, by all means drink more; but whether or not you'll derive added health benefits remains to be determined by further research.
How to Brew a Cup of Green Tea
Producing the perfect cup of green tea is a tricky process. If not handled properly, those same polyphenols that provide health benefits can ruin the flavor, making the tea taste "gassy." It's particularly important not to overbrew. While it's best to follow the manufacturer's instructions for each variety of green tea, here are some general instructions:
Use one tea bag, or 2 - 4 grams of tea,* per cup.
Fill a kettle with cold water and bring to a boil.
After unplugging the kettle, allow it to stand for up to 3 minutes.
Pour the heated water over the tea bag or tea, and allow it to steep for up to 3 minutes. If using a tea bag, remove the bag.
Allow the tea to cool for three more minutes.
*One to two teaspoons, depending on the variety of green tea you are brewing.
What is Green Tea Extract?
When we first learned of the incredible new discoveries concerning green tea, we thought we were in for a long and tedious education on teas (we're all devoted coffee drinkers!). But we were pleasantly surprised (and our science writer quit coffee in favor of green tea!). Don't be daunted by the apparent myriad varieties of tea; by "tea" we mean the leaf of the plant, Camellia sinensis - other so-called "herbal teas" (a misnomer because Camellia sinensis is an herb) are meant to be any infusion other than that of Camellia sinensis. There are really only three categories of teas: green, oolong, and black. Each of these is the leaf of Camellia sinensis and differs only in duration of fermentation: "black" is fully fermented, "oolong" is partially fermented, and "green" is not fermented at all, only steamed. Types of tea such as Ceylon and Darjeeling refer to the region in which they are grown.
For What, and How is Green Tea Extract Used?
What is amazing about green tea is its reported ability to ward off many types of cancer. Much of the initial evidence that green tea is anti-carcinogenic is based on epidemiological studies which show lower rates of many types of cancer among populations such as Japan and China that drink green tea as part of a daily cultural habit. Recently, however, controlled studies on green tea extract have yielded impressive results, identifying the polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) as the responsible component. EGCG is able to force certain cancer cells into a situation in which, incredible as it may seem, they must die or be killed; the cancer cells die in a sort of cellular suicide, a condition scientists call "apoptosis". Further evidence shows EGCG as having an inhibitory effect on the enzyme, urokinase, which is required for tumor formation, thus preventing the formation of tumors in the first place.3,4,8-11,14-20,22-27,35
Not only are the polyphenols in green tea protective against certain cancers, but they are also potent antioxidants. Green tea's antioxidants have been shown to be highly beneficial to the heart - they help prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.29-33
Things to know about Green Tea:
Epidemiological studies have examined green tea drinkers; controlled studies have largely been done on the extract of green tea. Both are beneficial.
One cup of green tea contains from 100-200mg of EGCG.
Green tea should not be steeped in boiling water, but hot water (around 160-200 degrees). Use 1 Teaspoon of loose tea per cup, and a little more than 1 cup of water.
Decaffeinated green tea does not show the same benefits as green tea left in its natural state.
Adding milk negates green tea's beneficial properties.
Black tea may increase the incidence of certain cancers.
More than 5 cups a day may increase your odds for pancreatic cancer; 1-4 cups shows only benefits, so 1 or 2 cups a day is probably just right.
Cardio-protective
properties of green tea
Since blood sugar tends to increase with age, accelerating aging by crosslinking with proteins (glycation), the ability of green tea to lower serum glucose levels is extremely important as part of its anti-aging benefits. Some would argue that tea's ability to lower blood sugar, and thus insulin levels and glycation, is its most important anti-aging property.
A study comparing the effects of 75-day feeding of green tea and black tea to aged rats found that green tea lowered blood sugar only slightly better than black tea (23.9% vs 22.8%), but was markedly superior in reducing triglycerides (33.3% vs 25%; high triglycerides are strongly associated a high risk of cardiovascular disease). A low ratio of triglycerides to HDL is an excellent marker of cardiovascular health.
Black tea, however, was a better inducer of superoxide dismutase (SOD; the activity of SOD was 117% higher in the black tea group vs. control, as compared to 90.8% higher in the green tea group), and a better blocker of the harmful malondialdehyde, a byproduct of lipid peroxidation (black tea reduced it by 34.6%; green tea by 25.4%). The authors' conclusion that black tea is a more powerful antioxidant in vivo needs to be confirmed by other studies.
The ability to significantly lower blood glucose has been confirmed also in studies using diabetic rats. Both green and black tea were shown to possess anti-diabetic activity, and to be effective both in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. The fact that aged rats responded so dramatically to these polyphenols implies that it is possible to reverse the age-related rise in glucose intolerance and the resulting degenerative cascade of atherosclerosis and other degenerative disorders.
In what way are tea polyphenols able to lower serum glucose? The main mechanism seems to be the inhibition of the activity of starch digesting enzyme amylase. Tea inhibits both salivary and intestinal amylase, so that starch is broken down more slowly, and the rise in serum glucose is thus minimized. In addition, according to one recent study, tea may reduce the intestinal absorption of glucose.
A relatively little known compound found in onions and in tea, especially green tea, called diphenylamine, seems to have a strong sugar-lowering action. Again, the lesson here is that we are barely beginning to identify the significant phenolic compounds and their interactions; it's best not to rely on a single ingredient such as epigallocatechin gallate, but rather to ingest the whole complex set of bioactive compounds present in tea for best results.
Thanks to the serum glucose-lowering effect of tea, we thus obtain significant anti-aging benefits of calorie restriction, reduced glycation, and lower insulin secretion. If you drink tea with a carbohydrate-rich meal, you slow down the release of glucose and reduce its absorption (you also reduce the absorption of iron, another anti-aging benefit). Thus, you prevent the harmful spiking of insulin. Since insulin is our most fattening hormone and, with cortisol, our most pro-aging hormone, you also derive the substantial range of benefits that go with calorie restriction and insulin control.
Some very exciting results were found when rats were fed 2.5% green tea leaves in their diet. The experimental group showed a drop in total cholesterol, low-density cholesterol, and triglycerides. The body weight of green tea-fed rats was 10 to 18% lower than that of rats not consuming green tea. In addition, the activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, and of anticarcinogenic phase-II enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST), were significantly higher in the green tea group, as was the glutathione level in the liver. There was no liver or kidney toxicity. Thus, the study demonstrated combined cardiovascular and anticancer effects of green tea.
The cholesterol-lowering (hypocholesterolemic) effects of green tea (as well as black tea) have been confirmed by both animal and human epidemiological studies. In addition to lowering the atherogenic index as expressed by the HDL/total cholesterol ratio in rats, green tea and jasmine green tea also reduced the increase of liver weight that results from fat deposition. High consumption of green tea by humans, especially more than 10 cups a day, was found to be associated with higher HDLs and lower LDL and VLDL cholesterol, as well as with various biomarkers indicating better liver health. Lower levels of lipid peroxides in the liver are one well-confirmed benefit of green tea supplementation, found in study after study. The pancreas is another organ that is protected by green tea.
Green tea may also lower intestinal fat absorption. One animal study found that rats fed a diet containing a significant amount of catechin had a higher excretion of fat in the feces compared to the control group on a polyphenol-free diet. If this holds for humans who take the green tea extract, then it's good weight-loss and cardiovascular news.
Supplementation with antioxidants is important in part because by protecting cholesterol from oxidation, antioxidants help protect against atherosclerosis. In an animal study comparing the effectiveness of various antioxidants in preventing the oxidation of VDL and LDL cholesterol, vitamin E, genistein (phytoestrogen found chiefly in soy products) and green tea were found to be effective antioxidants, with genistein being particularly effective (oxidation lag time of 49% on the high-genistein diet), but green tea also exerting considerable activity (lag time of 33%). It would be interesting to see the results of combined genistein and green tea supplementation, particularly in humans. On the other hand, it could be argued that this is precisely the case of the Japanese diet. Japan enjoys the longest life expectancy in the world, and the lowest cardiovascular mortality for men, in spite of heavy smoking.
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The vasodilating effects of tea have also been documented. One interesting study compared the effect of coffee, tea, hot water with caffeine, and plain hot water on skin temperature, indicative of peripheral vasodilation. Tea produced the greatest vasodilating response. The authors speculate that this is due to the action of catechins. An increase in peripheral circulation is valuable for oxygenating tissue, and is also associated with a relaxed mood. Hence some alternative experts have advised drinking green tea in the evening as a relaxant.
A more detailed recent study compared the effectiveness of various catechins as vasorelaxants in rat arteries. All four main catechins present in green tea were shown to have a dose-dependent vasodilating effect, with epigallocatechin gallate being the most potent. Like human estrogens, catechins may act as calcium-channel blockers. Vasodilation is one of the cardioprotective effects of estrogens. Thus, green tea extract might be of particular importance to estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women.
Green tea catechins containing the galloyl group (epigallocatechin gallate, epigallocatechin, and epicatechin gallate) have been found to inhibit the proliferation of smooth muscle cells lining blood vessels in vitro (estrogens and progesterone also show this antiproliferative action; hence the natural protection against atherosclerosis seen in premenopausal women). Smooth muscle proliferation is one of the crucial processes involved in atherosclerosis and heart disease. One mechanism of the antiproliferative action of catechins is apparently the inhibition of protein tyrosine kinase activity (which is also involved in tumor growth).
The authors conclude that "tea catechins may be useful as a template for the development of drugs to prevent the pathological changes of atherosclerosis and post-angioplasty restenosis." (Restenosis is the narrowing of blood vessels after surgery, usually due to the rapid regrowth of plaque.) It seems more logical to use green tea for prevention of atherosclerosis to start with.
Green tea lowers fibrinogen, and inhibits excessive clotting and platelet aggregation.
A recent American in vivo study using hamsters found that while both green tea and black tea improved plasma lipid profiles and protected cholesterol against oxidation, green tea also lowered fibrinogen significantly more than black tea. One of the green tea polyphenols, epicatechin, was found to be able to significantly inhibit the production of thromboxane, one of the compounds required for platelet aggregation.
Green tea has been shown to protect the brain from oxidative stress, and lower monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity. Neurodegenerative diseases have been linked both to free radical damage and to excessive breakdown of neurotransmitters caused by high monoamine oxidase activity. Green tea in general, as well as its phenolic components catechin and epigallocatechin gallate, have been found to be effective at inhibiting MAO and lowering peroxide levels in glial cells in the brain.
Further evidence that green tea might be useful in preventing age-related brain degeneration comes from studies of the effects of catechins on nerve cell cultures. Thanks to their antioxidant properties, catechins were able to protect the cells from death induced by glucose oxidase. Catechins are also able to restrain the production of nitric oxide by the glial cells surrounding the neurons. Nitric oxide plays an important role as a neurotransmitter involved in memory formation, but excess levels lead to neural death and neurodegenerative disorders. Flavonoids in general are particularly effective in regulating the levels of nitric oxide in the brain. Green tea is among a handful of substances that can reduce nitric oxide production at concentrations of less than 300 parts per million.
The ability to lower lipid peroxidation and to chelate iron in the nervous system is also of tremendous importance. Parkinson's disease involves the progressive destruction of the dopamine-releasing nigrostriatal dopaminergic system, and hence the ever-increasing dopamine deficiency. It is possible that sufficient green tea consumption might protect against Parkinson's disease.
Both green and black tea are also potent inhibitors of intestinal absorption of non-heme iron, lowering the amount of free iron reaching the brain in the first place.
Japan has a much lower rate of Alzheimer's disease than Western countries. The Japanese living in Hawaii have 2.5 times the incidence of Alzheimer's disease than do native Japanese in Japan. It would be interesting to see to what extent the Japanese custom of sipping green tea all day, as contrasted with much lower consumption of green tea by the American-Japanese, contributes to neural protection.
There is also some evidence that iron plays a part in epilepsy. Green tea polyphenols have been found to inhibit or diminish iron-induced epileptic seizures, and to inhibit the hyperactivity of dopaminergic neurons. It is in fact likely that green tea, especially the decaffeinated kind, acts as a mild sedative.
Theanine, an amino acid found in green tea, has also been found to have beneficial effects by raising the levels of serotonin and/or dopamine in various important brain regions, particularly the hypothalamus, hippocampus (memory center), and striatum.
A Japanese study of almost 6000 nonsmoking women over the age of 40 showed that those who drank five or more cups of green tea a day had only half the incidence of stroke compared with women who drank less than five cups. A smaller Dutch study found an even more dramatic effect in men who drank a lot of black tea: those men who drank close to five cups of tea a day had only 31% risk of stroke compared to those who drank less than about two and a half cups of tea.
These results were not replicated in England, however; based on existing in vivo plasma antioxidant measurements, it has been suggested that the English custom of putting cream or milk in tea destroys all antioxidant benefits.
A Japanese animal study done on spontaneously hypertensive rats has confirmed that epigallocatechin gallate reduces the incidence of stroke and prolongs life span.
The kidneys are another area where green tea has shown to have protective effects. Decreased kidney function due to aging and kidney failure are a frequent cause of death. The public is generally unaware that anything can be done to prevent the age-related decline in kidney function. Making use of a wide-range of antioxidant protection appears crucial, and flavonoids, including green tea catechins, are very potent antioxidants. Epigallocatechin gallate was shown to induce antioxidant enzymes in the kidneys, as well as to reduce uremic toxins in the blood, suggesting improved kidney function in an animal model of kidney failure.
Kidney problems are often associated with high blood sugar and consequent glycosylation of various proteins (hence the strong link between kidney failure and diabetes). Since green tea has the ability to lower serum glucose, this is another way in which it helps protect against kidney failure. Likewise, the antioxidant properties of green tea likely play a significant role in protecting the kidneys. Since green tea has been shown to lower the concentrations of free radicals and lipid peroxides in organs such as the liver and the pancreas, this is likely to be true in the kidneys as well.
Maintaining kidney health is a crucial though often neglected part of anti-aging medicine. Green tea is one of the resources we have for protecting this critical detoxification system, and it seems to be a particularly powerful one.
Green tea provides a wealth of simple phenolics; black tea provides more complex polyphenols. There is some controversy about which group has higher antioxidant potential in vivo.
An Italian study found that while green tea was six times more potent in inhibiting lipid peroxidation in vitro, when healthy human subjects ingested the same amount of either black or green tea, the plasma antioxidant capacity (expressed as TRAP, or total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter) was similar in both groups.
The increase in plasma antioxidant capacity was quite rapid, peaking at 30-50 minutes. This indicates that the most bioactive antioxidant compounds are quickly absorbed in the upper part of the gastrointestinal system.
Interestingly, while the addition of milk did not diminish antioxidant activity of either black or green tea in vitro, it completely abolished it in vivo, according to an Italian study. Some authors, however, think that skim milk does not significantly interfere with the absorption of polyphenols.
One study found green tea polyphenols to be comparable to BHT (a well-known synthetic phenolic antioxidant) in antioxidant power when it came to protecting canola oil; green tea outperformed BHT when the oil was heated.
Catechins have also been found to outperform Vitamin C and beta-carotene ten times in scavenging the alkyl peroxyl radical. One study found green tea polyphenols to be more potent antioxidants than Vitamin C, Vitamin E, rosemary extract, and even curcumin in some systems.
Diabetics show premature aging and poor immune function due to the high oxidative stress that results from high serum glucose. When type-II diabetics were put on a diet that included 6 cups of tea a day plus some tomato sauce with onions, oxidative damage to the DNA of their lymphocytes was found to be markedly reduced. We already know that carotenoids can protect DNA; it is possible that compounds found in green tea may also be able to protect DNA, especially in synergistic action with other antioxidants.
One of the antioxidant properties of green tea catechins is their ability to protect against the ravages of oxidized linoleic acid - an omega-6 fatty acid usually consumed in excess in the Western world, from sources such as margarine, safflower oil and corn oil; excess linoleic acid (most likely in the peroxidized form, which activates various pro-inflammatory enzymes) is involved in promoting inflammation, tumor growth, and most degenerative disorders. Few people are aware that when polyunsaturated cooking oils are heated, the result is carcinogenic peroxides. A recent study discovered that catechins synergize with alpha-tocopherol (Vitamin E) to protect against oxidative damage by oxidized linoleic acid before this fatty acid is incorporated into cell membranes.
Catechins also have a sparing effect on Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) and beta-carotene, resulting in overall greater antioxidant protection of the polyunsaturated fatty acids that are incorporated into cell membranes. The sparing effect on tocopherol may be due to the fact that catechins are effective scavengers of aqueous oxygen radicals, and thus prevent their entry into the lipids, where these radicals would oxidize alpha-tocopherol. It is also possible that catechins can regenerate the antioxidant power of alpha-tocopherol by donating a hydrogen molecule to its oxidized form. Thus it appears that green tea polyphenols, like flavonoids in general, boost the levels of other antioxidants.
Of special interest is the ability of catechins to inhibit the dangerous peroxynitrite free radical, a strong reactant oxidant formed when the potent free radical superoxide encounters nitrogen-containing compounds such as nitric oxide. Peroxynitrite destroys proteins, as well as vital antioxidants such as glutathione and Vitamin E. Green tea catechins were shown to be more effective than Trolox, a synthetic antioxidant, in protecting critical amino acids such as tyrosine and the amino acids of apolipoprotein B in LDL cholesterol against nitration damage by the peroxynitrite radical.
Another interesting recent discovery concerns one particular green tea polyphenol called epicatechin. This particular polyphenol appears to be metabolized to an anthocyanin-like compound that is also an antioxidant, offering particularly long-lasting protection.
Returning to the question of antioxidant properties of simple catechins in green tea versus the complex polymeric polyphenols in black tea, a new study found that in lipids the simple compounds were more effective, while in aqueous conditions polymers had more activity, but only up to a point. Glycosylation, meaning cross-linking with glucose, decreased the antioxidant properties of all compounds tested.
Green tea polyphenols are also effective anti-inflammatory agents. Chronic inflammation has been linked to serious degenerative disorders associated with aging, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease. An important part of the inflammatory process is the excess production of nitric oxide, which in turn leads to the production of carcinogenic nitrous compounds. Epigallocatechin gallate has been found to inhibit the enzyme nitric oxide synthase, thus reducing the production of inflammation-related NO.
Tumor necrosis factor alpha also plays a pivotal part in inflammation. It has been found that green tea polyphenols downregulate the gene that causes the release of tumor necrosis factor alpha. Thus, it can be concluded that green tea reduces the inflammatory response by controlling the production of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor alpha.
Recent studies suggest that green tea catechins may inhibit the HIV virus replication, and various other viruses. A study done at the Laboratory of Viral Oncology in Nagoya, Japan, discovered that two catechins found in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate and epicatechin gallate, were able to differentially inhibit the enzymes used by the HIV virus for replication: reverse transcriptase and various DNA and RNA polymerases. A more recent Chinese study at the Institute of Medical Biotechnology in Beijing found that green tea catechins in general could inhibit the reverse transcriptase or polymerases of several types of viruses, including HIV-1 and herpes simplex 1. Various polymeric oxidation products of polyphenols have also been found to inhibit the herpes simplex virus. It seems that flavonoids in general ought to be more thoroughly researched for their ability to inhibit the replication of viruses and keep them in a state of latency.
A particularly exciting discovery related to the antibacterial properties of green tea polyphenols has been the finding that these compounds inhibit the growth and adherence of oral bacteria. Green tea extract has been found to strongly inhibit periodontal-causing bacterium, Porphyromonas, and decay-causing bacteria such as Streptococcus salivarius and Streptococcus mutans. A Chinese study showed that Streptococcus mutans could be inhibited completely by sufficient contact with green tea polyphenols. Using green tea as a mouth rinse resulted in less plaque and periodontal disease. Black tea has also been found effective.
One possible mechanism of the action of tea in preventing dental decay is its ability to inhibit the enzyme amylase present in the saliva. Thus, less starch gets converted in the mouth into bacteria-feeding simple sugars such as glucose and maltose. Bacterial amylase is likewise inhibited, making less nutrition available to the decay-causing organisms.
Green tea catechins also help destroy harmful intestinal bacteria. When tube-fed patients received 300 mg of tea catechins a day, the putrefactive products in their gastrointestinal tract decreased, and organic acids increased, lowering the pH. The greater acidity is highly beneficial, since it makes the environment inhospitable to harmful bacteria, while beneficial lactic acid bacteria can thrive. Indeed, the bactericidal activity of green tea does not affect lactic acid bacteria. Decreased levels of putrefactive products and improved intestinal flora lead to better digestion, better immune function, and lower risk of colorectal cancer.
In summary, green tea has numerous benefits for disease prevention and anti-aging purposes. In part I, we discussed the extensive anti-cancer benefits of green tea. Here we reviewed how green tea protects the cardiovascular system, the brain, the kidneys, and basically affects every aspect of our physiology. The ability to lower blood sugar and to chelate iron seems especially important. Green tea's ability to control the production of nitric oxide also deserves special mention. This ancient beverage seems custom-made to protect health and delay aging.
Green Tea References / Additional Resources
Annabi, B., M. P. Lachambre, N. Bousquet-Gagnon, M. Page, D. Gingras and R. Beliveau (2002). "Green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin 3-gallate inhibits MMP-2 secretion and MT1-MMP-driven migration in glioblastoma cells." Biochim Biophys Acta 1542(1-3): 209-20.
Aucamp, J., A. Gaspar, Y. Hara and Z. Apostolides (1997). "Inhibition of xanthine oxidase by catechins from tea (Camellia sinensis)." Anticancer Res 17(6D): 4381-5.
Brown, M. D. (1999). "Green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract and its possible role in the prevention of cancer." Altern Med Rev 4(5): 360-70.
Higashi-Okai, K. and Y. Okai (1998). "Potent suppressive activity of chlorophyll a and b from green tea (Camellia sinensis) against tumor promotion in mouse skin." J Uoeh 20(3): 181-8.
Jodoin, J., M. Demeule and R. Beliveau (2002). "Inhibition of the multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein activity by green tea polyphenols." Biochim Biophys Acta 1542(1-3): 149-59.
Kapadia, G. J., B. D. Paul, E. B. Chung, B. Ghosh and S. N. Pradhan (1976). "Carcinogenicity of Camellia sinensis (tea) and some tannin-containing folk medicinal herbs administered subcutaneously in rats." J Natl Cancer Inst 57(1): 207-9.
Katiyar, S. K., R. Agarwal, Z. Y. Wang, A. K. Bhatia and H. Mukhtar (1992). "(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate in Camellia sinensis leaves from Himalayan region of Sikkim: inhibitory effects against biochemical events and tumor initiation in Sencar mouse skin." Nutr Cancer 18(1): 73-83.
Katiyar, S. K. and H. Mukhtar (1997). "Tea antioxidants in cancer chemoprevention." J Cell Biochem Suppl 27: 59-67.
Kavanagh, K. T., L. J. Hafer, D. W. Kim, K. K. Mann, D. H. Sherr, A. E. Rogers and G. E. Sonenshein (2001). "Green tea extracts decrease carcinogen-induced mammary tumor burden in rats and rate of breast cancer cell proliferation in culture." J Cell Biochem 82(3): 387-98.
Mukhtar, H., Z. Y. Wang, S. K. Katiyar and R. Agarwal (1992). "Tea components: antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic effects." Prev Med 21(3): 351-60.
Okai, Y. and K. Higashi-Okai (1997). "Potent suppressive activity of nonpolyphenolic fraction of green tea (Camellia sinensis) against genotoxin-induced umu C gene expression in Salmonella typhimurium (TA 1535/pSK 1002), tumor promotor-dependent ornithine decarboxylase induction of BALB/c 3T3 fibroblast cells, and chemically induced mouse skin tumorigenesis." Teratog Carcinog Mutagen 17(6): 305-12.
Sakamoto, K. (2000). "Synergistic effects of thearubigin and genistein on human prostate tumor cell (PC-3) growth via cell cycle arrest." Cancer Lett 151(1): 103-9.
Weisburger, J. H. (1997). "Tea and health: a historical perspective." Cancer Lett 114(1-2): 315-7.
Shim, J. S., M. H. Kang, Y. H. Kim, J. K. Roh, C. Roberts and I. P. Lee (1995). "Chemopreventive effect of green tea (Camellia sinensis) among cigarette smokers." Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 4(4): 387-91.
Valcic, S., B. N. Timmermann, D. S. Alberts, G. A. Wachter, M. Krutzsch, J. Wymer and J. M. Guillen (1996). "Inhibitory effect of six green tea catechins and caffeine on the growth of four selected human tumor cell lines." Anticancer Drugs 7(4): 461-8.
Yang, C. S., J. Y. Chung, G. Yang, S. K. Chhabra and M. J. Lee (2000). "Tea and tea polyphenols in cancer prevention." J Nutr 130(2S Suppl): 472S-478S.
Yang, C. S., S. Prabhu and J. Landau (2001). "Prevention of carcinogenesis by tea polyphenols." Drug Metab Rev 33(3-4): 237-53.
Hastak, K., S. Gupta, et al. (2003). "Role of p53 and NF-kappaB in epigallocatechin-3-gallate-induced apoptosis of LNCaP cells." Oncogene 22(31): 4851-9.
Rosengren, R. J. (2003). "Catechins and the treatment of breast cancer: Possible utility and mechanistic targets." IDrugs 6(11): 1073-8.
Pilorget, A., V. Berthet, et al. (2003). "Medulloblastoma cell invasion is inhibited by green tea (-)epigallocatechin-3-gallate." J Cell Biochem 90(4): 745-55.
Lambert, J. D. and C. S. Yang (2003). "Mechanisms of cancer prevention by tea constituents." J Nutr 133(10): 3262S-3267S.
Kemberling, J. K., J. A. Hampton, et al. (2003). "Inhibition of bladder tumor growth by the green tea derivative epigallocatechin-3-gallate." J Urol 170(3): 773-6.
Einspahr, J. G., G. T. Bowden, et al. (2003). "Skin cancer chemoprevention: strategies to save our skin." Recent Results Cancer Res 163: 151-64; discussion 264-6.
Adhami, V. M., N. Ahmad, et al. (2003). "Molecular targets for green tea in prostate cancer prevention." J Nutr 133(7 Suppl): 2417S-2424S.
Ahn, W. S., S. W. Huh, et al. (2003). "A major constituent of green tea, EGCG, inhibits the growth of a human cervical cancer cell line, CaSki cells, through apoptosis, G(1) arrest, and regulation of gene expression." DNA Cell Biol 22(3): 217-24.
Morre, D. J., D. M. Morre, et al. (2003). "Tea catechin synergies in inhibition of cancer cell proliferation and of a cancer specific cell surface oxidase (ECTO-NOX)." Pharmacol Toxicol 92(5): 234-41.
Fujiki, H., M. Suganuma, et al. (2003). "New TNF-alpha releasing inhibitors as cancer preventive agents from traditional herbal medicine and combination cancer prevention study with EGCG and sulindac or tamoxifen." Mutat Res 523-524: 119-25.
Katiyar, S. K. (2003). "Skin photoprotection by green tea: antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects." Curr Drug Targets Immune Endocr Metabol Disord 3(3): 234-42.
Raederstorff, D. G., M. F. Schlachter, et al. (2003). "Effect of EGCG on lipid absorption and plasma lipid levels in rats." J Nutr Biochem 14(6): 326-32.
Miura, Y., T. Chiba, et al. (2001). "Tea catechins prevent the development of atherosclerosis in apoprotein E-deficient mice." J Nutr 131(1): 27-32.
Osada, K., M. Takahashi, et al. (2001). "Tea catechins inhibit cholesterol oxidation accompanying oxidation of low density lipoprotein in vitro." Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 128(2): 153-64.
Miura, S., J. Watanabe, et al. (1995). "Effects of various natural antioxidants on the Cu(2+)-mediated oxidative modification of low density lipoprotein." Biol Pharm Bull 18(1): 1-4.
Miura, S., J. Watanabe, et al. (1994). "The inhibitory effects of tea polyphenols (flavan-3-ol derivatives) on Cu2+ mediated oxidative modification of low density lipoprotein." Biol Pharm Bull 17(12): 1567-72.
Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trials
Dulloo, A. G., C. Duret, D. Rohrer, L. Girardier, N. Mensi, M. Fathi, P. Chantre and J. Vandermander (1999). "Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans." Am J Clin Nutr 70(6): 1040-5.
Placebo-Controlled Trials
Stratton, S. P., R. T. Dorr, et al. (2000). "The state-of-the-art in chemoprevention of skin cancer." Eur J Cancer 36(10): 1292-7.
Is any other food or drink reported to have as many health benefits as green tea? The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since ancient times, using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. In her book Green Tea: The Natural Secret for a Healthier Life, Nadine Taylor states that green tea has been used as a medicine in China for at least 4,000 years.
Today, scientific research in both Asia and the west is providing hard evidence for the health benefits long associated with drinking green tea. For example, in 1994 the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. There is also research indicating that drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.
To sum up, here are just a few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful:
cancer
rheumatoid arthritis
high cholesterol levels
cariovascular disease
infection
impaired immune function
What makes green tea so special?
The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots. The latter takes on added importance when you consider that thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.
Links are being made between the effects of drinking green tea and the "French Paradox." For years, researchers were puzzled by the fact that, despite consuming a diet rich in fat, the French have a lower incidence of heart disease than Americans. The answer was found to lie in red wine, which contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet. In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas determined that EGCG is twice as powerful as resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers.
Why don't other Chinese teas have similar health-giving properties? Green, oolong, and black teas all come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. What sets green tea apart is the way it is processed. Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized. By contrast, black and oolong tea leaves are made from fermented leaves, which results in the EGCG being converted into other compounds that are not nearly as effective in preventing and fighting various diseases.
Other Benefits
New evidence is emerging that green tea can even help dieters. In November, 1999, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Researchers found that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine or a placebo.
Green tea can even help prevent tooth decay! Just as its bacteria-destroying abilities can help prevent food poisoning, it can also kill the bacteria that causes dental plaque. Meanwhile, skin preparations containing green tea - from deodorants to creams - are starting to appear on the market.
Harmful Effects?
To date, the only negative side effect reported from drinking green tea is insomnia due to the fact that it contains caffeine. However, green tea contains less caffeine than coffee: there are approximately thirty to sixty mg. of caffeine in six - eight ounces of tea, compared to over one-hundred mg. in eight ounces of coffee.
How much Green Tea should you drink?
There are as many answers to this question as there are researchers investigating the natural properties of green tea. For example, Herbs for Health magazine cites a Japanese report stating that men who drank ten cups of green tea per day stayed cancer-free for three years longer than men who drank less than three cups a day (there are approximately 240 - 320 mg of polyphenols in three cups of green tea). Meanwhile, a study by Cleveland's Western Reserve University concluded that drinking four or more cups of green tea per day could help prevent rheumatoid arthritis, or reduce symptoms in individuals already suffering from the disease. And Japanese scientists at the Saitama Cancer Research Institute discovered that there were fewer recurrances of breast cancer, and the disease spread less quickly, in women with a history of drinking five cups or more of green tea daily.
It gets more confusing. A University of California study on the cancer-preventative qualities of green tea concluded that you could probably attain the desired level of polyphenols by drinking merely two cups per day. On the other hand, a company selling a green tea capsule formula insists that ten cups per day are necessary to reap the maximum benefits.
How can you make sense of these conflicting claims? Given all the evidence, it is probably safe to plan on drinking four to five cups of green tea per daily. If you're a real devotee, by all means drink more; but whether or not you'll derive added health benefits remains to be determined by further research.
How to Brew a Cup of Green Tea
Producing the perfect cup of green tea is a tricky process. If not handled properly, those same polyphenols that provide health benefits can ruin the flavor, making the tea taste "gassy." It's particularly important not to overbrew. While it's best to follow the manufacturer's instructions for each variety of green tea, here are some general instructions:
Use one tea bag, or 2 - 4 grams of tea,* per cup.
Fill a kettle with cold water and bring to a boil.
After unplugging the kettle, allow it to stand for up to 3 minutes.
Pour the heated water over the tea bag or tea, and allow it to steep for up to 3 minutes. If using a tea bag, remove the bag.
Allow the tea to cool for three more minutes.
*One to two teaspoons, depending on the variety of green tea you are brewing.
What is Green Tea Extract?
When we first learned of the incredible new discoveries concerning green tea, we thought we were in for a long and tedious education on teas (we're all devoted coffee drinkers!). But we were pleasantly surprised (and our science writer quit coffee in favor of green tea!). Don't be daunted by the apparent myriad varieties of tea; by "tea" we mean the leaf of the plant, Camellia sinensis - other so-called "herbal teas" (a misnomer because Camellia sinensis is an herb) are meant to be any infusion other than that of Camellia sinensis. There are really only three categories of teas: green, oolong, and black. Each of these is the leaf of Camellia sinensis and differs only in duration of fermentation: "black" is fully fermented, "oolong" is partially fermented, and "green" is not fermented at all, only steamed. Types of tea such as Ceylon and Darjeeling refer to the region in which they are grown.
For What, and How is Green Tea Extract Used?
What is amazing about green tea is its reported ability to ward off many types of cancer. Much of the initial evidence that green tea is anti-carcinogenic is based on epidemiological studies which show lower rates of many types of cancer among populations such as Japan and China that drink green tea as part of a daily cultural habit. Recently, however, controlled studies on green tea extract have yielded impressive results, identifying the polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) as the responsible component. EGCG is able to force certain cancer cells into a situation in which, incredible as it may seem, they must die or be killed; the cancer cells die in a sort of cellular suicide, a condition scientists call "apoptosis". Further evidence shows EGCG as having an inhibitory effect on the enzyme, urokinase, which is required for tumor formation, thus preventing the formation of tumors in the first place.3,4,8-11,14-20,22-27,35
Not only are the polyphenols in green tea protective against certain cancers, but they are also potent antioxidants. Green tea's antioxidants have been shown to be highly beneficial to the heart - they help prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.29-33
Things to know about Green Tea:
Epidemiological studies have examined green tea drinkers; controlled studies have largely been done on the extract of green tea. Both are beneficial.
One cup of green tea contains from 100-200mg of EGCG.
Green tea should not be steeped in boiling water, but hot water (around 160-200 degrees). Use 1 Teaspoon of loose tea per cup, and a little more than 1 cup of water.
Decaffeinated green tea does not show the same benefits as green tea left in its natural state.
Adding milk negates green tea's beneficial properties.
Black tea may increase the incidence of certain cancers.
More than 5 cups a day may increase your odds for pancreatic cancer; 1-4 cups shows only benefits, so 1 or 2 cups a day is probably just right.
Cardio-protective
properties of green tea
Since blood sugar tends to increase with age, accelerating aging by crosslinking with proteins (glycation), the ability of green tea to lower serum glucose levels is extremely important as part of its anti-aging benefits. Some would argue that tea's ability to lower blood sugar, and thus insulin levels and glycation, is its most important anti-aging property.
A study comparing the effects of 75-day feeding of green tea and black tea to aged rats found that green tea lowered blood sugar only slightly better than black tea (23.9% vs 22.8%), but was markedly superior in reducing triglycerides (33.3% vs 25%; high triglycerides are strongly associated a high risk of cardiovascular disease). A low ratio of triglycerides to HDL is an excellent marker of cardiovascular health.
Black tea, however, was a better inducer of superoxide dismutase (SOD; the activity of SOD was 117% higher in the black tea group vs. control, as compared to 90.8% higher in the green tea group), and a better blocker of the harmful malondialdehyde, a byproduct of lipid peroxidation (black tea reduced it by 34.6%; green tea by 25.4%). The authors' conclusion that black tea is a more powerful antioxidant in vivo needs to be confirmed by other studies.
The ability to significantly lower blood glucose has been confirmed also in studies using diabetic rats. Both green and black tea were shown to possess anti-diabetic activity, and to be effective both in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. The fact that aged rats responded so dramatically to these polyphenols implies that it is possible to reverse the age-related rise in glucose intolerance and the resulting degenerative cascade of atherosclerosis and other degenerative disorders.
In what way are tea polyphenols able to lower serum glucose? The main mechanism seems to be the inhibition of the activity of starch digesting enzyme amylase. Tea inhibits both salivary and intestinal amylase, so that starch is broken down more slowly, and the rise in serum glucose is thus minimized. In addition, according to one recent study, tea may reduce the intestinal absorption of glucose.
A relatively little known compound found in onions and in tea, especially green tea, called diphenylamine, seems to have a strong sugar-lowering action. Again, the lesson here is that we are barely beginning to identify the significant phenolic compounds and their interactions; it's best not to rely on a single ingredient such as epigallocatechin gallate, but rather to ingest the whole complex set of bioactive compounds present in tea for best results.
Thanks to the serum glucose-lowering effect of tea, we thus obtain significant anti-aging benefits of calorie restriction, reduced glycation, and lower insulin secretion. If you drink tea with a carbohydrate-rich meal, you slow down the release of glucose and reduce its absorption (you also reduce the absorption of iron, another anti-aging benefit). Thus, you prevent the harmful spiking of insulin. Since insulin is our most fattening hormone and, with cortisol, our most pro-aging hormone, you also derive the substantial range of benefits that go with calorie restriction and insulin control.
Some very exciting results were found when rats were fed 2.5% green tea leaves in their diet. The experimental group showed a drop in total cholesterol, low-density cholesterol, and triglycerides. The body weight of green tea-fed rats was 10 to 18% lower than that of rats not consuming green tea. In addition, the activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, and of anticarcinogenic phase-II enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST), were significantly higher in the green tea group, as was the glutathione level in the liver. There was no liver or kidney toxicity. Thus, the study demonstrated combined cardiovascular and anticancer effects of green tea.
The cholesterol-lowering (hypocholesterolemic) effects of green tea (as well as black tea) have been confirmed by both animal and human epidemiological studies. In addition to lowering the atherogenic index as expressed by the HDL/total cholesterol ratio in rats, green tea and jasmine green tea also reduced the increase of liver weight that results from fat deposition. High consumption of green tea by humans, especially more than 10 cups a day, was found to be associated with higher HDLs and lower LDL and VLDL cholesterol, as well as with various biomarkers indicating better liver health. Lower levels of lipid peroxides in the liver are one well-confirmed benefit of green tea supplementation, found in study after study. The pancreas is another organ that is protected by green tea.
Green tea may also lower intestinal fat absorption. One animal study found that rats fed a diet containing a significant amount of catechin had a higher excretion of fat in the feces compared to the control group on a polyphenol-free diet. If this holds for humans who take the green tea extract, then it's good weight-loss and cardiovascular news.
Supplementation with antioxidants is important in part because by protecting cholesterol from oxidation, antioxidants help protect against atherosclerosis. In an animal study comparing the effectiveness of various antioxidants in preventing the oxidation of VDL and LDL cholesterol, vitamin E, genistein (phytoestrogen found chiefly in soy products) and green tea were found to be effective antioxidants, with genistein being particularly effective (oxidation lag time of 49% on the high-genistein diet), but green tea also exerting considerable activity (lag time of 33%). It would be interesting to see the results of combined genistein and green tea supplementation, particularly in humans. On the other hand, it could be argued that this is precisely the case of the Japanese diet. Japan enjoys the longest life expectancy in the world, and the lowest cardiovascular mortality for men, in spite of heavy smoking.
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The vasodilating effects of tea have also been documented. One interesting study compared the effect of coffee, tea, hot water with caffeine, and plain hot water on skin temperature, indicative of peripheral vasodilation. Tea produced the greatest vasodilating response. The authors speculate that this is due to the action of catechins. An increase in peripheral circulation is valuable for oxygenating tissue, and is also associated with a relaxed mood. Hence some alternative experts have advised drinking green tea in the evening as a relaxant.
A more detailed recent study compared the effectiveness of various catechins as vasorelaxants in rat arteries. All four main catechins present in green tea were shown to have a dose-dependent vasodilating effect, with epigallocatechin gallate being the most potent. Like human estrogens, catechins may act as calcium-channel blockers. Vasodilation is one of the cardioprotective effects of estrogens. Thus, green tea extract might be of particular importance to estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women.
Green tea catechins containing the galloyl group (epigallocatechin gallate, epigallocatechin, and epicatechin gallate) have been found to inhibit the proliferation of smooth muscle cells lining blood vessels in vitro (estrogens and progesterone also show this antiproliferative action; hence the natural protection against atherosclerosis seen in premenopausal women). Smooth muscle proliferation is one of the crucial processes involved in atherosclerosis and heart disease. One mechanism of the antiproliferative action of catechins is apparently the inhibition of protein tyrosine kinase activity (which is also involved in tumor growth).
The authors conclude that "tea catechins may be useful as a template for the development of drugs to prevent the pathological changes of atherosclerosis and post-angioplasty restenosis." (Restenosis is the narrowing of blood vessels after surgery, usually due to the rapid regrowth of plaque.) It seems more logical to use green tea for prevention of atherosclerosis to start with.
Green tea lowers fibrinogen, and inhibits excessive clotting and platelet aggregation.
A recent American in vivo study using hamsters found that while both green tea and black tea improved plasma lipid profiles and protected cholesterol against oxidation, green tea also lowered fibrinogen significantly more than black tea. One of the green tea polyphenols, epicatechin, was found to be able to significantly inhibit the production of thromboxane, one of the compounds required for platelet aggregation.
Green tea has been shown to protect the brain from oxidative stress, and lower monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity. Neurodegenerative diseases have been linked both to free radical damage and to excessive breakdown of neurotransmitters caused by high monoamine oxidase activity. Green tea in general, as well as its phenolic components catechin and epigallocatechin gallate, have been found to be effective at inhibiting MAO and lowering peroxide levels in glial cells in the brain.
Further evidence that green tea might be useful in preventing age-related brain degeneration comes from studies of the effects of catechins on nerve cell cultures. Thanks to their antioxidant properties, catechins were able to protect the cells from death induced by glucose oxidase. Catechins are also able to restrain the production of nitric oxide by the glial cells surrounding the neurons. Nitric oxide plays an important role as a neurotransmitter involved in memory formation, but excess levels lead to neural death and neurodegenerative disorders. Flavonoids in general are particularly effective in regulating the levels of nitric oxide in the brain. Green tea is among a handful of substances that can reduce nitric oxide production at concentrations of less than 300 parts per million.
The ability to lower lipid peroxidation and to chelate iron in the nervous system is also of tremendous importance. Parkinson's disease involves the progressive destruction of the dopamine-releasing nigrostriatal dopaminergic system, and hence the ever-increasing dopamine deficiency. It is possible that sufficient green tea consumption might protect against Parkinson's disease.
Both green and black tea are also potent inhibitors of intestinal absorption of non-heme iron, lowering the amount of free iron reaching the brain in the first place.
Japan has a much lower rate of Alzheimer's disease than Western countries. The Japanese living in Hawaii have 2.5 times the incidence of Alzheimer's disease than do native Japanese in Japan. It would be interesting to see to what extent the Japanese custom of sipping green tea all day, as contrasted with much lower consumption of green tea by the American-Japanese, contributes to neural protection.
There is also some evidence that iron plays a part in epilepsy. Green tea polyphenols have been found to inhibit or diminish iron-induced epileptic seizures, and to inhibit the hyperactivity of dopaminergic neurons. It is in fact likely that green tea, especially the decaffeinated kind, acts as a mild sedative.
Theanine, an amino acid found in green tea, has also been found to have beneficial effects by raising the levels of serotonin and/or dopamine in various important brain regions, particularly the hypothalamus, hippocampus (memory center), and striatum.
A Japanese study of almost 6000 nonsmoking women over the age of 40 showed that those who drank five or more cups of green tea a day had only half the incidence of stroke compared with women who drank less than five cups. A smaller Dutch study found an even more dramatic effect in men who drank a lot of black tea: those men who drank close to five cups of tea a day had only 31% risk of stroke compared to those who drank less than about two and a half cups of tea.
These results were not replicated in England, however; based on existing in vivo plasma antioxidant measurements, it has been suggested that the English custom of putting cream or milk in tea destroys all antioxidant benefits.
A Japanese animal study done on spontaneously hypertensive rats has confirmed that epigallocatechin gallate reduces the incidence of stroke and prolongs life span.
The kidneys are another area where green tea has shown to have protective effects. Decreased kidney function due to aging and kidney failure are a frequent cause of death. The public is generally unaware that anything can be done to prevent the age-related decline in kidney function. Making use of a wide-range of antioxidant protection appears crucial, and flavonoids, including green tea catechins, are very potent antioxidants. Epigallocatechin gallate was shown to induce antioxidant enzymes in the kidneys, as well as to reduce uremic toxins in the blood, suggesting improved kidney function in an animal model of kidney failure.
Kidney problems are often associated with high blood sugar and consequent glycosylation of various proteins (hence the strong link between kidney failure and diabetes). Since green tea has the ability to lower serum glucose, this is another way in which it helps protect against kidney failure. Likewise, the antioxidant properties of green tea likely play a significant role in protecting the kidneys. Since green tea has been shown to lower the concentrations of free radicals and lipid peroxides in organs such as the liver and the pancreas, this is likely to be true in the kidneys as well.
Maintaining kidney health is a crucial though often neglected part of anti-aging medicine. Green tea is one of the resources we have for protecting this critical detoxification system, and it seems to be a particularly powerful one.
Green tea provides a wealth of simple phenolics; black tea provides more complex polyphenols. There is some controversy about which group has higher antioxidant potential in vivo.
An Italian study found that while green tea was six times more potent in inhibiting lipid peroxidation in vitro, when healthy human subjects ingested the same amount of either black or green tea, the plasma antioxidant capacity (expressed as TRAP, or total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter) was similar in both groups.
The increase in plasma antioxidant capacity was quite rapid, peaking at 30-50 minutes. This indicates that the most bioactive antioxidant compounds are quickly absorbed in the upper part of the gastrointestinal system.
Interestingly, while the addition of milk did not diminish antioxidant activity of either black or green tea in vitro, it completely abolished it in vivo, according to an Italian study. Some authors, however, think that skim milk does not significantly interfere with the absorption of polyphenols.
One study found green tea polyphenols to be comparable to BHT (a well-known synthetic phenolic antioxidant) in antioxidant power when it came to protecting canola oil; green tea outperformed BHT when the oil was heated.
Catechins have also been found to outperform Vitamin C and beta-carotene ten times in scavenging the alkyl peroxyl radical. One study found green tea polyphenols to be more potent antioxidants than Vitamin C, Vitamin E, rosemary extract, and even curcumin in some systems.
Diabetics show premature aging and poor immune function due to the high oxidative stress that results from high serum glucose. When type-II diabetics were put on a diet that included 6 cups of tea a day plus some tomato sauce with onions, oxidative damage to the DNA of their lymphocytes was found to be markedly reduced. We already know that carotenoids can protect DNA; it is possible that compounds found in green tea may also be able to protect DNA, especially in synergistic action with other antioxidants.
One of the antioxidant properties of green tea catechins is their ability to protect against the ravages of oxidized linoleic acid - an omega-6 fatty acid usually consumed in excess in the Western world, from sources such as margarine, safflower oil and corn oil; excess linoleic acid (most likely in the peroxidized form, which activates various pro-inflammatory enzymes) is involved in promoting inflammation, tumor growth, and most degenerative disorders. Few people are aware that when polyunsaturated cooking oils are heated, the result is carcinogenic peroxides. A recent study discovered that catechins synergize with alpha-tocopherol (Vitamin E) to protect against oxidative damage by oxidized linoleic acid before this fatty acid is incorporated into cell membranes.
Catechins also have a sparing effect on Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) and beta-carotene, resulting in overall greater antioxidant protection of the polyunsaturated fatty acids that are incorporated into cell membranes. The sparing effect on tocopherol may be due to the fact that catechins are effective scavengers of aqueous oxygen radicals, and thus prevent their entry into the lipids, where these radicals would oxidize alpha-tocopherol. It is also possible that catechins can regenerate the antioxidant power of alpha-tocopherol by donating a hydrogen molecule to its oxidized form. Thus it appears that green tea polyphenols, like flavonoids in general, boost the levels of other antioxidants.
Of special interest is the ability of catechins to inhibit the dangerous peroxynitrite free radical, a strong reactant oxidant formed when the potent free radical superoxide encounters nitrogen-containing compounds such as nitric oxide. Peroxynitrite destroys proteins, as well as vital antioxidants such as glutathione and Vitamin E. Green tea catechins were shown to be more effective than Trolox, a synthetic antioxidant, in protecting critical amino acids such as tyrosine and the amino acids of apolipoprotein B in LDL cholesterol against nitration damage by the peroxynitrite radical.
Another interesting recent discovery concerns one particular green tea polyphenol called epicatechin. This particular polyphenol appears to be metabolized to an anthocyanin-like compound that is also an antioxidant, offering particularly long-lasting protection.
Returning to the question of antioxidant properties of simple catechins in green tea versus the complex polymeric polyphenols in black tea, a new study found that in lipids the simple compounds were more effective, while in aqueous conditions polymers had more activity, but only up to a point. Glycosylation, meaning cross-linking with glucose, decreased the antioxidant properties of all compounds tested.
Green tea polyphenols are also effective anti-inflammatory agents. Chronic inflammation has been linked to serious degenerative disorders associated with aging, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease. An important part of the inflammatory process is the excess production of nitric oxide, which in turn leads to the production of carcinogenic nitrous compounds. Epigallocatechin gallate has been found to inhibit the enzyme nitric oxide synthase, thus reducing the production of inflammation-related NO.
Tumor necrosis factor alpha also plays a pivotal part in inflammation. It has been found that green tea polyphenols downregulate the gene that causes the release of tumor necrosis factor alpha. Thus, it can be concluded that green tea reduces the inflammatory response by controlling the production of nitric oxide and tumor necrosis factor alpha.
Recent studies suggest that green tea catechins may inhibit the HIV virus replication, and various other viruses. A study done at the Laboratory of Viral Oncology in Nagoya, Japan, discovered that two catechins found in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate and epicatechin gallate, were able to differentially inhibit the enzymes used by the HIV virus for replication: reverse transcriptase and various DNA and RNA polymerases. A more recent Chinese study at the Institute of Medical Biotechnology in Beijing found that green tea catechins in general could inhibit the reverse transcriptase or polymerases of several types of viruses, including HIV-1 and herpes simplex 1. Various polymeric oxidation products of polyphenols have also been found to inhibit the herpes simplex virus. It seems that flavonoids in general ought to be more thoroughly researched for their ability to inhibit the replication of viruses and keep them in a state of latency.
A particularly exciting discovery related to the antibacterial properties of green tea polyphenols has been the finding that these compounds inhibit the growth and adherence of oral bacteria. Green tea extract has been found to strongly inhibit periodontal-causing bacterium, Porphyromonas, and decay-causing bacteria such as Streptococcus salivarius and Streptococcus mutans. A Chinese study showed that Streptococcus mutans could be inhibited completely by sufficient contact with green tea polyphenols. Using green tea as a mouth rinse resulted in less plaque and periodontal disease. Black tea has also been found effective.
One possible mechanism of the action of tea in preventing dental decay is its ability to inhibit the enzyme amylase present in the saliva. Thus, less starch gets converted in the mouth into bacteria-feeding simple sugars such as glucose and maltose. Bacterial amylase is likewise inhibited, making less nutrition available to the decay-causing organisms.
Green tea catechins also help destroy harmful intestinal bacteria. When tube-fed patients received 300 mg of tea catechins a day, the putrefactive products in their gastrointestinal tract decreased, and organic acids increased, lowering the pH. The greater acidity is highly beneficial, since it makes the environment inhospitable to harmful bacteria, while beneficial lactic acid bacteria can thrive. Indeed, the bactericidal activity of green tea does not affect lactic acid bacteria. Decreased levels of putrefactive products and improved intestinal flora lead to better digestion, better immune function, and lower risk of colorectal cancer.
In summary, green tea has numerous benefits for disease prevention and anti-aging purposes. In part I, we discussed the extensive anti-cancer benefits of green tea. Here we reviewed how green tea protects the cardiovascular system, the brain, the kidneys, and basically affects every aspect of our physiology. The ability to lower blood sugar and to chelate iron seems especially important. Green tea's ability to control the production of nitric oxide also deserves special mention. This ancient beverage seems custom-made to protect health and delay aging.
Green Tea References / Additional Resources
Annabi, B., M. P. Lachambre, N. Bousquet-Gagnon, M. Page, D. Gingras and R. Beliveau (2002). "Green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin 3-gallate inhibits MMP-2 secretion and MT1-MMP-driven migration in glioblastoma cells." Biochim Biophys Acta 1542(1-3): 209-20.
Aucamp, J., A. Gaspar, Y. Hara and Z. Apostolides (1997). "Inhibition of xanthine oxidase by catechins from tea (Camellia sinensis)." Anticancer Res 17(6D): 4381-5.
Brown, M. D. (1999). "Green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract and its possible role in the prevention of cancer." Altern Med Rev 4(5): 360-70.
Higashi-Okai, K. and Y. Okai (1998). "Potent suppressive activity of chlorophyll a and b from green tea (Camellia sinensis) against tumor promotion in mouse skin." J Uoeh 20(3): 181-8.
Jodoin, J., M. Demeule and R. Beliveau (2002). "Inhibition of the multidrug resistance P-glycoprotein activity by green tea polyphenols." Biochim Biophys Acta 1542(1-3): 149-59.
Kapadia, G. J., B. D. Paul, E. B. Chung, B. Ghosh and S. N. Pradhan (1976). "Carcinogenicity of Camellia sinensis (tea) and some tannin-containing folk medicinal herbs administered subcutaneously in rats." J Natl Cancer Inst 57(1): 207-9.
Katiyar, S. K., R. Agarwal, Z. Y. Wang, A. K. Bhatia and H. Mukhtar (1992). "(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate in Camellia sinensis leaves from Himalayan region of Sikkim: inhibitory effects against biochemical events and tumor initiation in Sencar mouse skin." Nutr Cancer 18(1): 73-83.
Katiyar, S. K. and H. Mukhtar (1997). "Tea antioxidants in cancer chemoprevention." J Cell Biochem Suppl 27: 59-67.
Kavanagh, K. T., L. J. Hafer, D. W. Kim, K. K. Mann, D. H. Sherr, A. E. Rogers and G. E. Sonenshein (2001). "Green tea extracts decrease carcinogen-induced mammary tumor burden in rats and rate of breast cancer cell proliferation in culture." J Cell Biochem 82(3): 387-98.
Mukhtar, H., Z. Y. Wang, S. K. Katiyar and R. Agarwal (1992). "Tea components: antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic effects." Prev Med 21(3): 351-60.
Okai, Y. and K. Higashi-Okai (1997). "Potent suppressive activity of nonpolyphenolic fraction of green tea (Camellia sinensis) against genotoxin-induced umu C gene expression in Salmonella typhimurium (TA 1535/pSK 1002), tumor promotor-dependent ornithine decarboxylase induction of BALB/c 3T3 fibroblast cells, and chemically induced mouse skin tumorigenesis." Teratog Carcinog Mutagen 17(6): 305-12.
Sakamoto, K. (2000). "Synergistic effects of thearubigin and genistein on human prostate tumor cell (PC-3) growth via cell cycle arrest." Cancer Lett 151(1): 103-9.
Weisburger, J. H. (1997). "Tea and health: a historical perspective." Cancer Lett 114(1-2): 315-7.
Shim, J. S., M. H. Kang, Y. H. Kim, J. K. Roh, C. Roberts and I. P. Lee (1995). "Chemopreventive effect of green tea (Camellia sinensis) among cigarette smokers." Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 4(4): 387-91.
Valcic, S., B. N. Timmermann, D. S. Alberts, G. A. Wachter, M. Krutzsch, J. Wymer and J. M. Guillen (1996). "Inhibitory effect of six green tea catechins and caffeine on the growth of four selected human tumor cell lines." Anticancer Drugs 7(4): 461-8.
Yang, C. S., J. Y. Chung, G. Yang, S. K. Chhabra and M. J. Lee (2000). "Tea and tea polyphenols in cancer prevention." J Nutr 130(2S Suppl): 472S-478S.
Yang, C. S., S. Prabhu and J. Landau (2001). "Prevention of carcinogenesis by tea polyphenols." Drug Metab Rev 33(3-4): 237-53.
Hastak, K., S. Gupta, et al. (2003). "Role of p53 and NF-kappaB in epigallocatechin-3-gallate-induced apoptosis of LNCaP cells." Oncogene 22(31): 4851-9.
Rosengren, R. J. (2003). "Catechins and the treatment of breast cancer: Possible utility and mechanistic targets." IDrugs 6(11): 1073-8.
Pilorget, A., V. Berthet, et al. (2003). "Medulloblastoma cell invasion is inhibited by green tea (-)epigallocatechin-3-gallate." J Cell Biochem 90(4): 745-55.
Lambert, J. D. and C. S. Yang (2003). "Mechanisms of cancer prevention by tea constituents." J Nutr 133(10): 3262S-3267S.
Kemberling, J. K., J. A. Hampton, et al. (2003). "Inhibition of bladder tumor growth by the green tea derivative epigallocatechin-3-gallate." J Urol 170(3): 773-6.
Einspahr, J. G., G. T. Bowden, et al. (2003). "Skin cancer chemoprevention: strategies to save our skin." Recent Results Cancer Res 163: 151-64; discussion 264-6.
Adhami, V. M., N. Ahmad, et al. (2003). "Molecular targets for green tea in prostate cancer prevention." J Nutr 133(7 Suppl): 2417S-2424S.
Ahn, W. S., S. W. Huh, et al. (2003). "A major constituent of green tea, EGCG, inhibits the growth of a human cervical cancer cell line, CaSki cells, through apoptosis, G(1) arrest, and regulation of gene expression." DNA Cell Biol 22(3): 217-24.
Morre, D. J., D. M. Morre, et al. (2003). "Tea catechin synergies in inhibition of cancer cell proliferation and of a cancer specific cell surface oxidase (ECTO-NOX)." Pharmacol Toxicol 92(5): 234-41.
Fujiki, H., M. Suganuma, et al. (2003). "New TNF-alpha releasing inhibitors as cancer preventive agents from traditional herbal medicine and combination cancer prevention study with EGCG and sulindac or tamoxifen." Mutat Res 523-524: 119-25.
Katiyar, S. K. (2003). "Skin photoprotection by green tea: antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects." Curr Drug Targets Immune Endocr Metabol Disord 3(3): 234-42.
Raederstorff, D. G., M. F. Schlachter, et al. (2003). "Effect of EGCG on lipid absorption and plasma lipid levels in rats." J Nutr Biochem 14(6): 326-32.
Miura, Y., T. Chiba, et al. (2001). "Tea catechins prevent the development of atherosclerosis in apoprotein E-deficient mice." J Nutr 131(1): 27-32.
Osada, K., M. Takahashi, et al. (2001). "Tea catechins inhibit cholesterol oxidation accompanying oxidation of low density lipoprotein in vitro." Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 128(2): 153-64.
Miura, S., J. Watanabe, et al. (1995). "Effects of various natural antioxidants on the Cu(2+)-mediated oxidative modification of low density lipoprotein." Biol Pharm Bull 18(1): 1-4.
Miura, S., J. Watanabe, et al. (1994). "The inhibitory effects of tea polyphenols (flavan-3-ol derivatives) on Cu2+ mediated oxidative modification of low density lipoprotein." Biol Pharm Bull 17(12): 1567-72.
Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trials
Dulloo, A. G., C. Duret, D. Rohrer, L. Girardier, N. Mensi, M. Fathi, P. Chantre and J. Vandermander (1999). "Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans." Am J Clin Nutr 70(6): 1040-5.
Placebo-Controlled Trials
Stratton, S. P., R. T. Dorr, et al. (2000). "The state-of-the-art in chemoprevention of skin cancer." Eur J Cancer 36(10): 1292-7.
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Kane
Right on the money!
Government can't make much money or get a little "on the side extra" from the pharmaceutical companies with tea......
It boils down to money....
The fact that tea benefits health is pretty widely accepted by intelligent people (medical background included as that is where I'm involved).
Right on the money!
Government can't make much money or get a little "on the side extra" from the pharmaceutical companies with tea......
It boils down to money....
The fact that tea benefits health is pretty widely accepted by intelligent people (medical background included as that is where I'm involved).
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THE FDA IS ALWAYS QUICK TO CONDEMN NATURAL SUPPS.. why.. well being in cohoots with the pharm companies does not help any.. it is all about biz and money.. no one can tell me that the current demonization of roids is not backed by the pharm companies who are not making any money on it.. but, wait.. they will be more than willing to help the "longevity" clinics in the future..
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Lats
FUCKING AMEN TO THAT BROTHER!
FUCKING AMEN TO THAT BROTHER!
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HAHAHA!
CORRUPT! That's likely too nice of a word for the situation we're discussing!
CORRUPT! That's likely too nice of a word for the situation we're discussing!
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Did it ever make you wonder just how many real cures there are out there that are thrown under the cover? I think Chris Rock said it best with "We haven't cured shit since Polio"... Makes you really wonder. Because in the end a permanent cure for something that people are paying for sub-par drugs on a daily basis just to stay alive would take away some serious incoming funds. Besides sitting on a drug that is a known cure is like money in the bank. They realize they could unleash it at any time and it will sell.
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KAISER.. ILL TELL YA WHAT A DOCTOR TOLD ME.. i was with my dad who was fighting cancer and losing.. we went to a specialist in texas.. i brought up the fact that there has to be a cure.. he said " there is i am sure.. but, there is more money to be made by all in the treatment than the cure".. if that is the case.. there is a special place in hell for all of them..
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LATS said:KAISER.. ILL TELL YA WHAT A DOCTOR TOLD ME.. i was with my dad who was fighting cancer and losing.. we went to a specialist in texas.. i brought up the fact that there has to be a cure.. he said " there is i am sure.. but, there is more money to be made by all in the treatment than the cure".. if that is the case.. there is a special place in hell for all of them..
I'm sorry to hear that and I hope he pulled through for you (your dad), but yeah man, I agree 100%. They should die from an instance of everything they were able to cure all at once, but didn't because of money. Hope they friggin rot.
OuchThatHurts
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It's simply a bottom line thing. It goes all the way to the top. People discover cures and new treatments all the time but then all of sudden they find their funding has dried up, or the lab is relocating.
One thing that comes to mind for me is antibiotics and antibiotic resistant staphylococcus and enterococcus. It's no secret in either the medical or scientific community that even our most powerful antibiotics (azithromycin and ciprofloxan, etc.) have begun to become ineffective against strains of both common infection types. Now, elaborate forms of combination therapies have arisen to fight them off. Fact is, people are still dying from staph infections resulting from a papercuts.
What's happening in a lot of these cases is people are going overseas for treatment. Russia for instance has successfully used 'phages' from (get this) raw sewage to treat these infections. These phages are the organisms that feed on the staph! Two-week treatment cost? ABOUT 12USD!!! I don't know if any of you know what anti's like cipro and zithromax cost but let's just say that 12 bucks might buy you a single tab (two if your lucky).
Anyone that has ever invested in biotech knows the amount of stages of approval a drug requires for it to hit the market (most never do) that someday I feel I may be dead while waiting to see if something is safe for me (or should I say 'safe for them?')
The only answer to this will be when more people just leave the country to get treated. Which is happening despite FDA warnings that procedures and treatments in foreign countries could be hazardous!!! Look on the internet or some publications and you will find these "medical vacations" which allow you to go on vacation, get your treatment, and be back home for less than the cost of the treatment here.
I better stop here before someone breaks down my door and I get escorted to a secure location (I'm guessing nobody's calling my attorney either)
One thing that comes to mind for me is antibiotics and antibiotic resistant staphylococcus and enterococcus. It's no secret in either the medical or scientific community that even our most powerful antibiotics (azithromycin and ciprofloxan, etc.) have begun to become ineffective against strains of both common infection types. Now, elaborate forms of combination therapies have arisen to fight them off. Fact is, people are still dying from staph infections resulting from a papercuts.
What's happening in a lot of these cases is people are going overseas for treatment. Russia for instance has successfully used 'phages' from (get this) raw sewage to treat these infections. These phages are the organisms that feed on the staph! Two-week treatment cost? ABOUT 12USD!!! I don't know if any of you know what anti's like cipro and zithromax cost but let's just say that 12 bucks might buy you a single tab (two if your lucky).
Anyone that has ever invested in biotech knows the amount of stages of approval a drug requires for it to hit the market (most never do) that someday I feel I may be dead while waiting to see if something is safe for me (or should I say 'safe for them?')
The only answer to this will be when more people just leave the country to get treated. Which is happening despite FDA warnings that procedures and treatments in foreign countries could be hazardous!!! Look on the internet or some publications and you will find these "medical vacations" which allow you to go on vacation, get your treatment, and be back home for less than the cost of the treatment here.
I better stop here before someone breaks down my door and I get escorted to a secure location (I'm guessing nobody's calling my attorney either)
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