Green Tea Research

[RAF]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=97&ncid=97&e=4&u=/hsn/20031017/hl_hsn/federalgrantfundsgreentearesearch

A little piece on upcoming research with Green Tea.

[j-himself]

cool

gots to make some green tea now

[RAF]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=97&ncid=97&e=10&u=/hsn/20031029/hl_hsn/greenteatoutedonceagain


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1507&ncid=1507&e=2&u=/afp/20031029/hl_afp/us_health_cancer_031029002835

Green Tea Touted Once Again
Tue Oct 28,11:46 PM ET Add Health - HealthDay to My Yahoo!



TUESDAY, Oct. 28 (HealthDayNews) -- Here's more evidence for the strong brew of benefits offered by green tea.

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It's already believed green tea helps lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease, fights bacteria and dental cavities, and possibly helps people lose weight.


Now, two new American studies say it may have anticancer properties, too.


The studies were presented Oct. 28 at the American Association for Cancer Research's conference in Phoenix.


"Laboratory studies have suggested green tea consumption may produce many health benefits, including the prevention of cancer, but the beneficial effects in humans are not clearly known," C.S. Yang, of Rutgers University, says in a prepared statement.


"Research is now showing how this novel chemopreventive agent might work at the molecular level and in the human population," he says.


More information


Here's where you can learn more about green tea.

_________________________________________________

Ginger slows cancer growth in mice: study
Tue Oct 28, 7:28 PM ET Add Health - AFP to My Yahoo!



MINNEAPOLIS, United States (AFP) - An active compound in the herb ginger appears to inhibit the growth of human colorectal cancer cells, US researchers said, citing preliminary experiments in mice.


The Hormel Institute Photo


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In a small trial involving 40 mice who were injected with human colorectal cancer cells, the ones given supplements of the compound 6-gingerol showed slower rates of cancer growth, according to a study from the University of Minnesota.


The first tumors appeared 15 days after the beginning of the experiment, and 13 of the control mice had developed measurable tumours by this point.


Among the other 20 mice, who were given human cancer cells but were also fed half a milligram of the ginger compound three times a week, only four had similar-sized tumours by day 15.


By day 38, all of the control mice had measurable tumours. But it was not until 10 days later that all the mice on ginger supplements reached that milestone.


The study protocol called for the animals to be euthanised once the tumour reached a certain size -- about the size of nickel or small coin -- out of concern for the animal's welfare.


All of the control mice reached that point by day 49, whereas 12 of the 20 6-gingerol were still alive on that day.


"The results strongly suggest that ginger compounds may slow the growth of cancers or reduce the size of established tumours," said Ann Bode, an associate professor of research at the University of Minnesota's Hormel Institute in Austin, Minnesota.


Bode presented the findings at a meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Phoenix, Arizona, Tuesday.


The herb has long been reputed to have medicinal properties: in India, ginger tea is touted as a remedy for the common cold and studies have shown that the herb counteracts motion sickness or nausea as anecdotal evidence suggested it did.

[rubthebuddha]

sweet news on the tea. i just gave up my morning (and afternoon) mountain dew or sobe and replaced it with tea -- usually black. i did it mainly to cut back on the refined sugar, but if it's going to keep me healthier in other ways, all the better.

thanks for the news, RAF.

[Meat Shake]

Black tea is higher in caffeine, lower in antioxidants. Go with some green tea or some oolong tea.
:)
Does this forum ever go off topic? Im impressed.
:)

[rubthebuddha]

<blows on fingernails, buffs on shirt>

:D

we go off topic every now and then, but we're a pretty well-adjusted bunch. i haven't challenged ford prefect to a death match for having such a weak lineage in at least two weeks. ironfist's and fatherdog's feud over the sparring argument has died down and each person's ribs are healing just fine. the only concern i have now is whether or not sevenstar will make it through surgery after complications from his duel with inic.

;)

[SevenStar]

part of my big toe was left in his rear, but we're working on getting it back...

[FatherDog]

Originally posted by rubthebuddha
<blows on fingernails, buffs on shirt>

:D

we go off topic every now and then, but we're a pretty well-adjusted bunch. i haven't challenged ford prefect to a death match for having such a weak lineage in at least two weeks. ironfist's and fatherdog's feud over the sparring argument has died down and each person's ribs are healing just fine. the only concern i have now is whether or not sevenstar will make it through surgery after complications from his duel with inic.

;)

Wait, Ironfist and I had a feud? Why wasn't I informed?

[Serpent]

So, this just went off topic then! ;)

I love green tea, btw, lovely stuff.

[rubthebuddha]

yeah, we were off topic. so what. i drank enough green tea last saturday night to wake a dead elephant, so i'll probably be on topic in this thread for the next week. :D

[Starchaser107]

"part of my big toe was left in his rear, but we're working on getting it back..."

you still want it after that???...
_________________________________________________

all this talk of green tea is making me thirsty.

[jun_erh]

I buy this tea "extra gunpowder" or something. It ccosts 60 cents and which makes like a dozen cups. The slightly larger size is 1.10 but I saw it online for like 12 bucks! I'm pretty sure it was the same size.

[RAF]

You guys in California, Chicago and New York are lucky. Here's a site for some serious tea drinking:

http://www.tenren.com/index.html

Maofeng Green Tea
http://www.tenren.com/yelmounmaofg.html
Yellow Mountain (Huangshan) Maofeng Green Tea comes from the Yellow Mountains in China, one of the most beautiful natural settings in the world. The Yellow Mountains are famous for their rolling fog, steep rock faces, hot springs and small mountain pines.

Yellow Mountain Maofeng is a green tea grown in the foothills of the Yellow Mountain range where it is almost always foggy and humid. It is considered one of China's most famous teas. The leaves are picked only in the spring when they are very young and only contain a bud and a single unfolding leaf. Only unbroken buds and leaves are processed for this tea.

$70.00 a lb.! Received it as gift when I was at HuangShan. Best green tea I have ever come across.
__________________________________________________

http://www.tenren.com/pearljasmine.html

Ten Tea's Pearl Jasmine tea is our finest and most exquisite Jasmine tea. There are many grades and qualities of pearl jasmine teas, but we only select the finest for Ten Tea. This tea is special due to the scenting process, the tea that is used as its base, and the care taken afterwards. A typical grade of jasmine tea is scented once with jasmine petals, but in Ten Tea's Pearl Jasmine the tea leaves are scented seven or more times to give the tea that strong Jasmine aroma. The green tea that is used as the Pearl Jasmine's base is a very high grade of young and tender green tea leaves grown in China.

After the tea has been scented, the Jasmine petals are removed since they no longer provide any additional scent or flavor. Lower grade Jasmine teas will leave the petals in. Finally, the scented tea leaves are hand rolled into pearl shaped balls which gives this tea its name. When steeped, these leaves unroll and produce a tea with a pronounced floral and fresh green tea scent, a full-bodied refreshing sweet taste, and a pleasing long lasting floral aftertaste. The hue of this tea is a light peach color.

$100.00 for 1.04 lbs. In my estimation, the best I have ever tasted. You can get a version of this a little cheaper in China.

Some people spend enormous amounts on Wine,Scotch, Bourbon etc.. others find it in tea!

I always keep a pot at my side when I train. Unfortunately you have to mark out a great deal of time---early mornings are best.

[yu shan]

I know what your thinking...moonshine and herb. Well your half right anyway.

After one trip to Taiwan, my folks are hooked on tea. This is a ritual, just the preparation, and the drinking of the tea is second to none. Have you really experienced drinking tea? And all that goes with it. A way of life...

[RAF]

Green tea extract may fight HIV
Green tea could form the basis of a new generation of HIV drugs, say experts.
Scientists in Japan have found a component of green tea can stop HIV from binding to healthy immune cells, which is how the virus spreads.

Their laboratory tests suggest a chemical called Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) protects cells.

Writing in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the scientists said the discovery could lead to new treatments to fight the disease.

Key chemicals

Green tea is made up of a class of chemicals called catechins, the most abundant of which is EGCG.

It is believed that EGCG is responsible for green tea's health benefits. Previous studies have suggested it can protect against a range of diseases, including cancer and heart disease.


A drug form of EGCG for HIV infection might be a further development of these investigations
Dr William Shearer,
Baylor College of Medicine
Dr Kuzushige Kawai and colleagues at the University of Tokyo carried out tests to see if the chemical could help beat HIV.
They found that EGCG stopped the virus from binding to CD4 molecules and human T cells.

These are vital parts of the body's immune system. Usually HIV is able to sneak inside these cells and wipe them out.

The scientists said further research is needed to see if EGCG could be used in new anti-HIV drugs.

They said simply drinking green tea would not offer people protection from the virus.

The concentration of EGCG used in the laboratory tests are many times over the blood concentration that could be achieved by just drinking green tea.

But in an accompanying editorial, Dr William Shearer from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, welcomed the findings.

"Molecular modelling of a drug form of EGCG for HIV infection might be a further development of these investigations," he said.

Previous studies have also indicated this chemical may have a role to play in fighting HIV.

However, much further research is needed before the laboratory findings will lead to drugs for patients with HIV.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/3257237.stm

Published: 2003/11/10 17:47:52 GMT

© BBC MMIII

[Tak]

They said simply drinking green tea would not offer people protection from the virus.

The concentration of EGCG used in the laboratory tests are many times over the blood concentration that could be achieved by just drinking green tea. I think the scientists highly underestimate the amount of green tea that can be drunk! Time to begin proving them wrong...

[Crash]

Is green tea caffeine free? I like it and drink it now and again, but haven't made it a regular thing because I wasn't sure of the caffeine content. I'd like to make it a regular thing, but only if there's no caffeine in it. I had never thought to just ask before this topic came up. :)

[RAF]

Yahoo! News Tue, Dec 16, 2003


Tea Time Not Just a Social Event

19 minutes ago Add Health - HealthDay to My Yahoo!

(HealthDayNews) -- A cup of tea may be more than a pleasurable drink, especially if it's black, green, or red tea. According to John Hopkins' Health After 50 newsletter, highly-concentrated forms of these teas may lower LDL or "bad" cholesterol.

Maximize the flavor of your home brews by:

Using one tea bag or one teaspoon of loose tea per cup.
Using fresh, cold water.
For black tea, heat the water to a rolling boil, but for green tea, only to the boiling point.
Pre-warm your cup or pot.
Steep green tea for about two minutes, black for five to 10 minutes.

[rubthebuddha]

green tea has about a third of the caffeine of black.

[RAF]

Green Tea Component Kills Leukemia Cells
1 hour, 39 minutes ago Add Health - HealthDay to My Yahoo!

THURSDAY, April 8 (HealthDayNews) -- A component of green tea helps kill cells of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the second most common leukemia in American adults, according to new research.

Mayo Clinic researchers found that the component, called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), destroys leukemia cells by interrupting the communication signals they need to survive. The research appears online in the journal Blood.

CLL is most often diagnosed in people in their mid-to-late 60s. Chemotherapy is used to treat the most severe cases, but there is no cure for CLL.

In this study, the Mayo scientists found that EGCG prompted leukemia cells to die in eight of 10 patient samples tested in a laboratory.

"We're continuing to look for therapeutic agents that are nontoxic to the patient but kill cancer cells, and this finding with EGCG is an excellent start," study leader Dr. Neil E. Kay said in a prepared statement. "Understanding this mechanism and getting these positive early results gives us a lot to work with in terms of offering patients with this disease more effective, easily tolerated therapies earlier."


More information

[RAF]

Green tea polishes hard drive heads


18:10 27 April 04

NewScientist.com news service

Green tea provides a more effective and environmentally-friendly method of preparing computer hard disks, say US scientists.

Inside a hard drive a component known as a read-write head is used to magnetically impart and retrieve information from a spinning disk. The point of this head must be extremely smooth as it travels on a microscopically thin layer of air above the disk's fast-moving surface.

In fact, imperfections larger than 10 angstroms (a billionth of a metre) may interfere with the normal operation of the head.

So manufacturing a new read-write head involves smoothing it using a diamond instrument before using abrasive chemicals to remove any particles that still cling to the newly polishing surface.

But John Lombardi, at Ventana Research based in Tuscon, Arizona in the US, suspected that green tea might also provide be an effective compound for polishing magnetic read-write heads. This was because tannin, a chemical that gives tea and coffee a bitter taste, binds to certain ceramic and metal materials. It is this quality that causes it to stain teapots and mugs.


Plant extracts


Together with researchers at Pace Technologies in Arizona, and the University of Arizona, Lombardi developed a polishing mixture using tannins and other plant extracts from green tea. The precise formula remains a secret but Lombardi says it is not only more effective than existing compounds, but also less environmentally harmful because it is biodegradable.

The researchers combined chemicals from green tea with synthetic proteins and an abrasive chemical it produced a mixture well suited to removing microscopic imperfections. By binding to these particles, the mixture gives them an electrostatic charge, causing them to be repelled from the platter's surface.

"The tannin phytochemicals play a dual role by increasing the polishing rate and enhancing the removal of particles produced by the polishing process," says Srini Raghavan at the University of Arizona.

Further testing of the fluid is required before it can be used commercially. But Lombardi hopes this will be completed by the end of 2004.


Will Knight


Return to news story



© Copyright Reed Business Information Ltd.

[RAF]

White Tea Kills More Germs Than Its Green Cousin

19 minutes ago Add Health - HealthDay to My Yahoo!

TUESDAY, May 25 (HealthDayNews) -- White tea seems to be more effective than green tea in fighting germs, says new Pace University research.

"Past studies have shown that green tea stimulates the immune system to fight disease," study author Milton Schiffenbauer, a microbiologist and professor in Pace's department of biology, said in a prepared statement. "Our research shows that White Tea Extract can actually destroy in vitro the organisms that cause disease."

"Study after study with tea extract proves that is had many healing properties. This is not an 'old wives' tale,' it's a fact," Schiffenbauer added.

The study was presented May 25 at the American Society for Microbiology general meeting in New Orleans.

The researchers found that:

The anti-bacterial and anti-viral effect of white tea is greater than that of green tea.

The addition of white tea extract to several brands of toothpaste enhanced their anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.
White tea extract had an anti-fungal effect on both Penicillium chrysogenum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
White tea extract may help inactivate bacteria, viruses and fungi that affect humans.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute (news - web sites) has information about tea and cancer prevention.

[RAF]

Black Tea May Help Get Blood Circulating

1 hour, 49 minutes ago Add Health - Reuters to My Yahoo!

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A cup of black tea may give a quick boost to blood flow to the heart, the results of a small study suggest.

In an experiment with 10 healthy men, Japanese researchers found that blood-flow in the coronary arteries improved two hours after the men drank black tea. The same was not true of a caffeinated drink used for comparison.

Numerous studies have suggested that tea drinking may do a heart good, with effects on cholesterol, blood clotting and blood vessel function being among the proposed mechanisms.

The new study, reported in the American Journal of Cardiology, suggests it also has a more immediate beneficial effect. The authors suspect that black tea improved the dilation of the men's blood vessel, allowing better blood flow.

Tea is rich in antioxidant compounds called flavonoids, and these may be the key to the beverage's potential heart benefits, study co-author Dr. Kenei Shimada of Osaka City University told Reuters Health.

For the study, the researchers used a special ultrasound method to gauge "coronary flow velocity reserve" or CFVR. This reflects how much blood-flow can speed up when demands are put on the heart, and paints a picture of the healthiness of the coronary circulation.

Shimada's team measured the CFVR of each of the men after they drank either black tea or a caffeinated beverage, and found that it increased significantly after the black tea.

"The results of this study suggest that black tea consumption has a beneficial effect on coronary circulation," the researchers report.

They speculate that the flavonoids in black tea improve the functioning of the lining of the blood vessels, increasing how much the vessels dilate in response to blood flow. Dysfunction in this lining, called the endothelium, is one of the things that goes wrong as heart disease develops.

It's not clear what the long-term implications of the findings on CFVR might be, but Shimada said research has shown coronary flow reserve to be related to heart disease risk.

Larger studies, particularly in people with coronary artery disease, are needed to establish how tea affects the coronary circulation, the researchers conclude.

SOURCE: American Journal of Cardiology, June 1, 2004.

[abobo]

Here's some stuff I stumbled upon:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15236762

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15226633

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15083319

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14759162

[IronFist]

^ Cliff's Notes?

How much caffiene to black and green tea have compared to coffee? And wouldn't their relative strengths depend on thing such as how long they were steeped, etc.?

[abobo]

1) Antioxidative effect of green tea believed to have a preventive effect on brain atrophy in aged mice, assesed by learning time in a maze for mice in different stages of atrophy.
2) Study group of 203 in Japan showed that consumption of green tea was associated with lower incidence of coronary artery disease
3) Rats on a high fructose diet exhibited hypertension and insulin resistance and showed improvement in both after green tea supplementation
4) Green tea increased insulin sensitivity in rats

[red5angel]

when you talk of "green tea" is this green tea in general or a specific kind of green tea?

[Spark]

Tenren tea is the best. There's a really good tea store in Toronto's chinatown that carries it. Their ginger tea is the best I've had.

[Toby]

red5, green tea in general. I like Temple of Heaven gunpowder.

[RAF]

Spark, I agree. TenRen Tea is excellent. I often buy the White mo li hua cha.

I need to visit Toronto. Heard great things about the China town.

[RAF]

Drinking Tea Keeps Blood Pressure Down -- Study

Mon Jul 26, 4:07 PM ET

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Drinkers of green and oolong tea are less likely to develop high blood pressure than nondrinkers, a Taiwanese study said on Monday.

The risk of hypertension, a condition that can lead to heart disease and stroke, declined the more green or oolong tea was consumed regularly, the study by researchers from National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan, said.

Some varieties of tea contain 4,000 chemical compounds, including flavonoids that help protect against heart attacks, strokes and kidney failure, study author Yi-Ching Yang wrote in the report published in The Archives of Internal Medicine (news - web sites).

None of the 1,500 participants suffered from hypertension at the start of the study, and those who drank between 120 and 599 milliliters (4 to 20 fluid ounces) of tea per day for at least a year prior had a 46 percent lower risk of developing high blood pressure than nondrinkers.

Drinking 600 milliliters of tea or more a day lowered the risk of hypertension by 65 percent, the study showed.

Few of the participants drank black tea.

About 40 percent of the study subjects were regular tea drinkers, and they were more likely to be younger men who smoked more, drank more alcohol and ate fewer vegetables.

[Yang Fool]

Some brewing instructions reccomend a second and/or third steep. Anyone know how this effects level of active ingredients? Obviously it would be less but...90%... 10% ??

Ten Ren medium grade Lung Ching:D

[Glimmer]

Sorry, nothing to add, aside from congratulations on creating such a fantastic thread on the many merits of tea. For this, you have the keys to England and are welcome anytime.

Just so happens I bought my first batch of green tea before stumbling upon this thread too. Hooha!

[rubthebuddha]

don'tcha just love being proven right? :D

[Toby]

Originally posted by Yang Fool
Some brewing instructions reccomend a second and/or third steep. Anyone know how this effects level of active ingredients? Obviously it would be less but...90%... 10% ??

Ten Ren medium grade Lung Ching:D You mean using the same tea for multiple cups? I use a coupla teaspoons of tea per litre in my thermos each day. It's about right. Afterwards I make a cup for my wife with the same tea. It ends up really weak and you have to leave the tea in for a long time and keep agitating it to extract any greeny goodness. Same thing to a lesser extent if we make two cups in a row from one lot of tea. The 2nd is always noticeably weaker. It'd be better to use fresh tea each time. I usually leave the 1st lot brewing for 3min and the 2nd as long as necessary. Always use fresh water in the pot (don't keep reboiling) and I also like to stop it just before boiling since IIRC it's supposed to brew best at about 80 degrees celcius.

[Yang Fool]

Yeah exactly- same tea, multiple cups. I do pretty much as you said, first steep 3 minutes, water just below boiling. Second steep I leave between 5 and 10 minutes depending on what I'm doing in morning. It's noticibly weaker tasting even if it sits long enough to get good and green. I wonder how much less medicinal content it has?

I read a translation of an old tea brewing song-instruction that had really cool stuff like- "don't be rude to the leaves by pushing them harshly" and "let the water whisper and gossip but not talk".
I can tell when the water is just under boiling temp as it starts making "that sound".

I raise my cup to you-

[Toby]

Originally posted by Yang Fool
Second steep I leave between 5 and 10 minutes depending on what I'm doing in morning. It's noticibly weaker tasting even if it sits long enough to get good and green. I wonder how much less medicinal content it has?I guess I'm just too cheap to make a fresh brew for each cup :(. I shouldn't be considering my tea is pretty cheap (AUD$4.50/250g). But yeah, the 2nd is definitely sub-par.


Originally posted by Yang Fool
I raise my cup to you- *raises back* :D

[SimonM]

Originally posted by RAF


•and possibly helps people lose weight.



Yeah, it's 0 calories, 0 fat and fills your stomach up if you drink three cups of it. I've known that for a while. Part of my personal diet plan is every time I think of getting a cola I just brew a pot of good 'ol "Seven-Leaf Tea" (brand of Green Tea I found in one of the local Asian groceries, best tea I have ever had) instead.

[SimonM]

Originally posted by RAF

I need to visit Toronto. Heard great things about the China town.

Toronto does have a nice Chinatown. One time, I was in Toronto at a conference and the bunch of us went to this Vietnamese restaurant just on the edge of Chinatown. This was a restaurant that was not used to catering to non-Vietnamese, the menu was not written in English. There was (in fact) no english menu. I eventually ordered something labled as "noodles and 'meat' wrapped in tropical leaves" according to the waiter who assured me it was very tasty. It was. I also ordered a small dumpling soup that came in a bowl that could be described with many words, small not being one of them. My comment was "I'd hate to see the large" One advice though, don't order a drink called "pickled plum" just trust me, stick to the tea! :D

[RAF]

Green Tea Seems to Stem Spread of Prostate Cancer

23 minutes ago

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 1 (HealthDayNews) -- Green tea appears to inhibit the spread of prostate cancer in a number of ways, says a study in the Dec. 1 issue of Cancer Research.

In research with mice, scientists from the University of Wisconsin and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland found green tea polyphenols (GTP) target molecular pathways that control the proliferation and spread of prostate tumor cells. The polyphenols also inhibit the growth of blood vessels that feed prostate tumors.

"Consumption of GTP led to reduced levels of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1)," study senior author Hasan Mukhtar, of the department of dermatology at the University of Wisconsin, said in a prepared statement.

"GTP also led to increased levels of one of the binding proteins for IGF-1, the insulin growth factor binding protein-3. These observations bear significance in light of studies that indicate increased levels of IGF-1 are associated with increased risk of several cancers, such as prostate, breast, lung and colon," Mukhtar said.