GREEN TEA CAUSES THE BODY TO PRODUCE CANCER FIGHTING ENZYMES

A new clinical study provided evidence that catechins found in green tea stimulate
the production of cancer-protective enzymes in people with low natural levels, say
researchers.

Populations of counties where green tea is consumed as part of the every day diet,
such as Japan and China, tend to have a lower incidence of cancer than people in
countries where green tea is less commonly drunk. Consequently, green tea
catechins — antioxidant polyphenols — have been the focus of considerable research
in recent years.

Researchers from the University of Arizona, led by research associate professor H-

H Sherry Chow, set out to explain the anti-cancer effect of green tea by seeing if
a concentrate of catechins had any effect on levels of glutathione S-transferase
(GST) enzymes. GSTs modify cancer-causing molecules in the human body so they do
not damage cellular DNA.

Scientists carrying out the research found that green tea concentrate enables some
people to strengthen their metabolic defense against cancer-causing carcinogens,
thereby providing a new layer of evidence to support green tea as a powerful
cancer-fighting substance.

The study involved 42 healthy volunteers, who abstained from consuming tea or tea-
related products in the four-weeks prior to commencement. They then gave a fasting
blood sample, and plasma and lymphocytes were isolated for analysis of GST
activity and level.

For the next four weeks the participants all consumed a standardized Polyphon E
preparation at a dose of 800mg epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) per day on an empty
stomach. (Polyphenon E is commercially available and made by Japan’s Mitsui
Norin.)

At the end of the four weeks, the participants again gave blood samples. The
researchers found that GST activity increased when all the results were taken
together, from 2252.9 plus/minus 734.2 ng/mg protein to 2634.4 plus/minus 1138.3
ng/mg protein.

Obviously, the increase was most pronounced in people who had low GST activity in
the beginning; but all participants had positive increases.

In the people with the lowest production, GST activity increased by as much as 80
per cent.

“Expression of this enzyme varies dramatically in people due to genetic variation

and environmental factors,” explained Chow.

“Green tea catechins somehow increase gene expression of these enzymes, which can
be an advantage to people with low levels to start with,” said Chow.

Reference: Journal: Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention DOI: 10.1158/1055-

9965.EPI-06-0830 Title: “Modulation of Human Glutathione S-Transferases by
Polyphenon E Intervention” Authors: H-H Sherry Chow, Iman Hakim, Donna R Vining,
James Crowell, Margaret E Tome, James Ranger-Moore, Catherine A Cordova, Dalia M
Mikhael, Margaret M Briehl and David S Alberts.