Green Tea extract
There is a wealth of research from around the world providing hard evidence for the health benefits of green tea.  One potential reason for these findings is the strong antioxidant effect of tea polyphenols. 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 60%. In a 1997 study, researchers from the University of Kansas determined that EGCG, the relevant component of green tea, is twice as powerful an antimutagen as resveratrol, which may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though about 70% are smokers.

Smoking is a risk factor for coronary artery disease and triggers vascular injury by platelet aggregation and induces atherosclerosis through induction of oxidative stress. Green tea has antioxidant capacity and anti-platelet activity, and has been shown to significantly decrease biomarkers of atherosclerosis in smokers, and has also been associated with decreased occurrence of cancer and heart disease.

The Research
A population based case-control study conducted in China indicates that regular green tea consumption has significant protective effects on the development of gastric (decreased 16%), liver (decreased 43%) and esophageal cancer (decreased 31%) among among cigarette smokers. Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Cigarette smokers that consumed green tea had comparable levels of damage to DNA (resulting in mutations or cancer) to those of nonsmokers. Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology.

Drinking green tea reduced smoking-induced DNA damage, and green tea may play a role in prevention of oral cancer in smokers. University of Illinois College of Dentistry.

Regular green tea consumption might protect smokers from oxidative damage and could reduce cancer risk or other diseases caused by free radicals associated with smoking. University of Arizona and Arizona Cancer Center.

Regular intake of tea may protect smokers from cigarette smoke-induced oxidative damage and consequent degenerative diseases. University College of Science, India.

Green tea consumption is associated with a significant decrease in oxidative DNA damage in heavy smokers. University of Arizona and Arizona Cancer Center.

Green tea consumption decreased oxidative DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, and free radical generation in smokers. Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana.

 

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