Friday, July 12, 2013

This may drive coffee drinkers’ nuts



Green tea is good for you. No, wait, that’s not quite right. 

Green tea is really good for you. No, that doesn’t quite capture it.

“Green Tea May Prevent Alzheimer's Disease, Say Four New Studies.” Ok, I cheated, because that’s the headline of a recent Forbes article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2013/06/30/green-tea-may-prevent-alzheimers-say-four-new-studies/

As a brain tumor survivor, I’m always worried about being susceptible to Alzheimer’s, dementia and other brain issues. Luckily, I’ve just read this article by Melanie Haiken which summarizes four different scientific studies whichsay drinking green tea seems to be really, really good for brain function.

For example Haiken notes that, “Writing in the University of Michigan’s NeuroHealth blog last week, prominent neurologist Henry L. Paulson, MD describes the powerful properties of EGCG (official name: epigallocatechin-3-gallate), a flavonoid in green tea. EGCG, Paulson says, appears to protect the brain from the accumulation of amyloid plaques that scientists believe cause the brain deterioration associated with Alzheimer’s Disease.”

The three other studies have similarly good things to say about green tea.
What I really like about Haiken’s article is her no-nonsense, very practical summary: “So what does this mean for you? Studies like this are always published with caveats saying that the evidence can’t be considered definitive until larger and more definitive human studies are done.

But when it comes to green tea, there really isn’t much of a downside to argue about. No one has ever shown green tea to be harmful to health, and studies have also shown it to be protective against breast cancer and possibly other conditions such as Parkinson’s. I’m guessing the researchers who performed these studies are pouring themselves cups of green tea right now, and I’m about to do the same.”

Image credit: <a href='http://www.123rf.com/photo_16485690_matcha-green-tea-bowl-cup-and-black-bamboo.html'>jiravan / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

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