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Lee Swanson Research Update
Green Tea Protects the Heart
July 2005
A study has found that green tea may help protect against the damage caused by heart attacks and strokes. Researchers from the Institute of Child Health in the United Kingdom carried out the study, which was published in the Journal of the Federation of Experimental Biology.
The scientists carried out tests on heart cells and found that a major chemical component of green tea known as epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) can reduce cell death after a heart attack or stroke. Cell death following these traumatic events leads to dying tissues and organ failure. EGCG is also thought to speed up the recovery of heart cells, allowing the tissues to recover and alleviating damage to the organs.
During a heart attack or stroke, the amount of oxygen and nutrients reaching the brain and heart is reduced, which leads to cell death and causes irreversible damage. Certain factors (known as STATs—Signal Transducers and Activation of Transcription) usually become activated in cells after a stressful event like a heart attack or stroke, causing cell destruction.
EGCG found in green tea appears to work against the factors that trigger cell death, protecting the heart and brain from damage. It also hastens the recovery of these cells, allowing the tissues to recover, alleviating damage to the organs.
Commenting on the results, researcher Dr. Anastasis Stephanou said, "We're extremely encouraged by these findings and hope to implement them in the clinical setting to minimize cell death activation levels in patients with acute coronary artery disease." He added, however that more tests should be conducted before a blanket recommendation can be made.
