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Green Tea Catechins

The Camellia genus has almost 300 species, native to the coastal and mountain regions of East Asia. The tea plant is an evergreen shrub that is cultivated best at higher altitudes where cooler temperatures encourage complexity in flavour. Studies of green tea have shown it to have potential antioxidant, anticancer, diuretic, stimulant, antibacterial, antilipidemic, and antiatherosclerotic properties.

The constituents responsible for the majority of benefits provided by green tea are referred to as catechins. Catechins inhibit the production of COX-1 and other mediators of the inflammatory pathway. Animal studies have shown that the active constituents in green tea have antimutagenic and protective effects on DNA. Catechins also prevent angiogenesis in tumors, inhibit tumor cell proliferation, cause cell cycle arrest and induce apoptosis through reactive oxygen species formation and mitochondrial depolarization.

Certain Studies have shown Green tea may be effective in reducing the risk of breast, ovarian, cervical, prostate, esophageal, and stomach cancer in humans. The catechins from green tea may also reduce the cardiovascular and liver diseases. Studies have also highlighted potential benefits of green tea in cognitive function associated with Parkinson’s disease.

References:

  1. Katiyar, S. K. (2011). Green tea prevents non-melanoma skin cancer by enhancing DNA repair. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, 508(2), 152–158. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.abb.2010.11.015
  2. Zou, C., Liu, H., Feugang, J. M., Hao, Z., Chow, H.-H. S., & Garcia, F. (2010). Green tea compound in chemoprevention of cervical cancer. International Journal of Gynecological Cancer : Official Journal of the International Gynecological Cancer Society, 20(4), 617–24. http://doi.org/10.1111/IGC.0b013e3181c7ca5c
  3. Wang, J., Zhang, W., Sun, L., Yu, H., Ni, Q.-X., Risch, H. a, & Gao, Y.-T. (2012). Green tea drinking and risk of pancreatic cancer: a large-scale, po
  4. pulation-based case-control study in urban Shanghai. Cancer Epidemiology, 36(6), e354–8. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.canep.2012.08.004
  5. Hardy, M. L. (2008). Dietary Supplement Use in Cancer Care: Help or Harm. Hematology/Oncology Clinics of North America (Vol. 22). http://doi.org/10.1016/j.hoc.2008.04.012
  6. Kim, A., Chiu, A., Barone, M. K., Avino, D., Wang, F., Coleman, C. I., & Phung, O. J. (2011). Green tea catechins decrease total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 111(11), 1720–1729. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2011.08.009
  7. Stingl, J. C., Ettrich, T., Muche, R., Wiedom, M., Brockmöller, J., Seeringer, A., & Seufferlein, T. (2011). Protocol for minimizing the risk of metachronous adenomas of the colorectum with green tea extract (MIRACLE): a randomised controlled trial of green tea extract versus placebo for nutriprevention of metachronous colon adenomas in the elderly population. BMC Cancer, 11(1), 360. http://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2407-11-360
  8. Hanau, C., Morré, D. J., & Morré, D. M. (2014). Cancer prevention trial of a synergistic mixture of green tea concentrate plus Capsicum (CAPSOL-T) in a random population of subjects ages 40-84. Clinical Proteomics, 11(1), 2. http://doi.org/10.1186/1559-0275-11-2
  9. Wang, W., Yang, Y., Zhang, W., & Wu, W. (2014). Association of tea consumption and the risk of oral cancer: A meta-analysis. Oral Oncology, 10–15. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.oraloncology.2013.12.014