Green tea may help explain "Asian paradox"

[papau]

348 per 100,000 U.S. men die of coronary heart disease each year compared to 186 per 100,000 Japanese men while less than 40 per 100,000 Korean men become lung cancer deaths each year versus 67 per 100,000 among U.S. men. Green tea catechins' -- particularly one called EGCG -- effects on "bad" LDL cholesterol, plus antioxidants inhibiting blood cells from sticking together and forming clots, plus EGCG helping to block tumor formation or growth, may explain the result.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNews&storyID=2006-06-12T183422Z_01_COL266845_RTRUKOC_0_US-GREEN-TEA.xml

Green tea may help explain "Asian paradox"
Mon Jun 12, 2006 2:34pm ET

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - While smoking is a well-known cause of heart disease and lung cancer, the rates of these diseases have remained inexplicably low in Asian countries where smoking is common. But researchers say there is growing evidence that green tea is one piece of the puzzle.

Writing in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, Yale University researchers detail the body of evidence linking green tea to better heart health and a lower risk of cancer.<snip>

Antioxidants help quench molecules known as oxygen free radicals that, in excess, can damage body cells and potentially lead to disease. Free radicals are natural byproducts of normal body processes, but they are also generated by external sources like tobacco smoke.

In Japan, China and other Asian countries, it is a social custom to drink green tea, which is less processed -- and richer in catechins -- than the black tea commonly consumed in the West.<snip>

[Kutjara]

1. Facinating article. That's a significant reduction.

If you still have time to edit, thought, perhaps you can change the '400 per 100,000' Korean lung cancer statistic in your summary to '40 per 100,000.' As it reads now, it looks like the US has a far lower rate than Korea.

Thanks for sharing the article!

[papau]

3. thanks for the heads up!

:-)

[tridim]

2. "green tea, which is less processed"

And also better tasting IMO. I suppose it might be an acquired taste, but once I started drinking green tea I never went back. It's dirt cheap too (at the Asian market at least).

[Kutjara]

4. I'm guessing green tea ice cream doesn't count?

Life can be so unfair.

[papau]

7. I'm waiting for the Ben and Jerry's Green Tea w/cherrys version

:-)

[BrklynLiberal]

9. mmmmmmm sounds delicious...

[Virginia Dare]

5. I'm a believer in green tea....

drank it all winter long and never got sick a day. Could have been a coincidence, but it made me feel alot better overall too.

[oldtime dfl_er]

6. same here

I drink it daily. Lately it's gotten some bad press, so I'm glad to read this article.

Please sign our guestbook: www.ThankYouRFK.com

[Rainbowreflect]

8. I drink it every day. It also helps with my allergies.

[BrklynLiberal]

10. Great article. Thanks for posting