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Allergy benefit found for green tea
STUDY: Go Green tea
JOURNAL: American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
AUTHORS: Dr Hirofumi Tachibana
ABSTRACT: A compound found in green tea, epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, blocks one of the receptors involved in the allergic response. Previous studies in rodents have shown that orally administered EGCG helped prevent the allergic response, but its mechanism of action remained unknown. Although other compounds in green tea have been demonstrated to fight allergies, EGCG appears to be the most potent.
COMMENTARY: EGCG has been discovered to block the formation of two compounds involved in allergic reactions: histamine and immunoglobulin E (IgE). By studying the human white blood cells that release histamine called basophils, the researchers found that a methylated form of EGCG blocks the IgE receptor, involved in the allergic response.
Methylated EGCG provides a stronger response than normal EGCG against allergies, and the researchers state that it is the has the strongest anti-allergy effect of all of the compounds in green tea.
This study reveals yet another of green tea's promising health benefits, in addition to its ability to combat heart disease, cancer, tooth decay and arthritis.
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