Osteoporosis is a major public health threat, affecting over one in every two adults ages 50 and over. One in two women and one in four men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture during their lifetime. These fractures often result in a reduced quality of life or even loss of life among older Americans.
However, diet and exercise can help prevent thinning bones. Australian researchers published findings from a five-year bone health study in a recent issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that among older women, those who drank tea, preserved more bone mass of the hip compared to those who did not enjoy tea in their daily diets.
In a study that included 1,500 women aged 70-85 years old, researchers followed them for a five-year timeframe while providing calcium. In addition, at the end of the study, the researchers also implemented a diet recall questionnaire and asked about tea drinking habits. Among the tea drinkers, bone density was found to be 2.8% greater in tea drinkers than in non-tea drinkers. The authors suggest that tea drinking, combined with calcium supplementation, may help preserve bone density as we age.
Devine A, Hodgson JM, Disk IM and Prince RL. Tea drinking is associated with benefits on bone density in older women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;86(4):1243-7.
• Cancer-Fighting Properties Identified in Green Tea Extracts
Researchers from Rutgers University presented a study at the Sixth Annual American Association for Cancer Research held in December. One study presented highlighted an association between the green tea polyphenol, EGCG, and the development of human colon cancer cells in an animal model study.
According to the researchers, animals fed typical Western diets (similar to the US average intake) and half of the animals received green tea polyphenols and the others did not. Those receiving green tea extract reduced their risk of developing a colon cancer tumor by over 50 percent and weighed 5% less than animals fed the same diet but without the green tea polyphenols.
Based on the size and weight of the animals, an equivalent amount of tea in a human adult diet would equal four to six cups a day. The researchers theorize that the EGCG polyphenol present in green tea was responsible for the reduction in colon cancer risk.
This study adds to the growing scientific literature around the role that green tea may play in inhibiting specific types of cancer. Numerous experimental and several population-based studies have shown that green tea exerts anti-cancer mechanisms. For example EGCG is known to induce activity of compounds that inactive free radicals that are often implicated in carcinogenesis or the development of cancer.
Douaud, Clarisse. “Plant compounds for cancer shine at conference.” Decision News Media SAS. 2007. 10 Dec. 2007
With 2008 off to a bang, many Americans are making their best attempts at sticking to the many New Year’s resolutions that we typically make – and break – every year. Whether it is to eat better, get back to the gym, give up unhealthy vices, or all of the above, many of these all-too-familiar resolutions will be abandoned by February 1st, if not earlier. However, there is one resolution that can help in maintaining an overall healthier lifestyle and so much more: Drinking tea!
New research presented this past fall at the USDA in Washington, D.C., associates drinking tea with maintaining a healthy body weight, reduced risk for several chronic diseases, such as heart disease and certain cancers, and also found that drinking tea may support healthy brain function.
Boost Your Mind in 2008 with a Cup of Tea
Start the New Year out right with a healthy “brain-boost” to help get those brainwaves flowing clearly in 2008. New research suggests that the effects of theanine (found in tea) used in combination with caffeine may improve attention and induce a relaxed state that also allows the mind to focus and concentrate better at tasks.
Tea May Help Fight the Battle of the Bulge
It’s never too early to start thinking about swimsuit season and with over two-thirds of the U.S. adult population overweight or obese, scientists are looking for medically sound ways to help consumers manage their weight. Since Green and Black Tea can be enjoyed without added calories, tea drinkers may find that they can eliminate liquid calories in their diet by drinking tea in lieu of sugar-laden beverages that are nutrient-poor but calorie-rich.
Tea’s Potential Role in the Fight against Cancer & Cardiovascular Disease
Everyone is looking for a way to help fight heart disease and cancer. The latest human clinical trial suggests that bioactive compounds in tea may provide significant benefits against oxidative stress and cancer susceptibility.
Plus, new developments in artery endothelium research suggest that drinking as little as two to four cups of tea daily can promote cardiovascular health.
Adding tea to a healthy diet may be one of the easiest and healthiest resolutions to start the New Year out right; and to top things off, January is also National Hot Tea Month! So toast the New Year – and the rest of the year – with a hot cup of tea!
For more on tea and health, please visit www.TeaUSA.org
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