Green Tea May Protect Your DNA from Damage

Researchers from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University recently conducted a study which found that green tea may protect your cells from damage.

The researchers combined results from a human trial and a scientific in vitro study and published their findings in the September 2010 issue of the British Journal of Nutrition.

18 healthy participants were recruited for the human part of the study. The participants were randomly assigned to receive two cups of 1% green tea (‘Longjing’ green tea or ‘screw-shaped’ green tea) or water daily for 4 weeks.

Blood and urine samples were taken at the beginning and end of the study. When the samples were analyzed the researchers found an impressive 20% reduction in DNA damage.

For the in vitro study, the researchers incubated cells with green tea. The cells were then exposed to hydrogen peroxide which creates oxidation. They found that tea treated cells resisted DNA damage at significantly higher levels than normal cells.

Green tea has gained an immense amount of attention and scientific analysis recently due to a host of health benefits associated with it. These benefits are often attributed to the abundance of naturally occurring antioxidants in green tea called polyphenols. These powerful antioxidants make green tea useful for everything from cancer prevention, to weight loss and even may potentially help slow the aging process.