Protective properties of green tea still present after digestion
6 January 2011 It has been proposed that regularly drinking
green tea could protect the brain against developing Alzheimer's
and other forms of dementia and could also have a role in
preventing some types of cancer. Researchers at Newcastle
University have shown that the compounds in green tea that may
be protective still remain in an active form after digestion.
The study, partly funded by a BBSRC CASE studentship, is
published today in the academic journal Phytomedicine. Led by Dr
Ed Okello, the Newcastle team wanted to know if the protective
properties of green tea - which have previously been shown to be
present in the undigested, freshly brewed form of the drink -
were still active once the tea had been digested. Digestion is a
vital process which provides our bodies with the nutrients we
need to survive. But, says Dr Okello, it also means that just
because the food we put into our mouths is generally accepted to
contain health-boosting pro