Dr. Mercola April 23 2007 35,623 views
According to researchers, green tea may help protect against autoimmune disease.
A study of animal models for type 1 diabetes and primary Sjogren's Syndrome, which damages the glands that produce tears and saliva, found that there was significantly less salivary gland damage in a group treated with green tea extract.
This suggests that green tea can reduce the Sjogren's symptom commonly called dry mouth.
Researchers looked for inflammation and the number of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells that gather at inflammation sites. The group treated with green tea had fewer lymphocytes, and their blood also showed lower levels of autoantibodies, which are produced when the immune system attacks itself.
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a component of green tea, is known to help suppress inflammation. EGCG may activate the body's defense against TNF-alpha, a group of proteins and molecules involved in systemic inflammation.
Approximately 30 percent of elderly Americans suffer from dry mouth, but in China, where green tea is widely consumed, only 5 percent of the elderly suffer from the problem.
Dr. Mercola's Comment:
The powerful chemicals contained in green tea can fight a host of diseases including AIDS, Alzheimer's and, perhaps, autoimmune diseases such as Sjogren's Syndrome. Scientists believe the discovery described above could open the door to further research on green tea's protective powers in relation to other autoimmune diseases, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
When selecting the right green tea for your health, remember to do your homework and be sure the kind you drink isn't high in fluoride.
Bearing that in mind, the healthy polyphenols in green tea may constitute up to 30 percent of the dry leaf weight. So, when you drink a cup of tea, you're basically drinking a solution of tea polyphenols. In fresh, unfermented tea leaves, polyphenols exist as a series of chemicals called catechins, of which epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the most powerful.
Widely acclaimed for disease prevention and anti-aging purposes, catechins have been studied for centuries for their potential ability to:
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Don’t you just love it when science finally “proves” what we have been saying all along?
Hears one: Science has proven Bloodroot cures cancer (and I am not talking about those stupid black salves with chloride of zinc in them that burn stuff off)
You can read about the research from the pharma guys at many places from this page. There are two different links of research and you could print a small book on it if you follow the links!
But guess what!! They don’t want to say anything publicly because they are refusing to do any thing about it. Why? Because they would have to synthesize the whole plant and since they can’t do that, they don’t care because they can’t patent it and make big money! They hide the info and hope nobody ever reads it BUT HERE IT IS BOYS AND GIRLS!
GERRRR!
One of my biggest questions is, “Why doesn’t the media pick up on this Cancer Cure stuff and do a story? Do you think they could be “bribed” by Big Pharma somehow or are they just scared of retaliation from them?”It might start a small riot but I, for one, think that would be great!
I’m going to be honest and tell you Viral Defense tastes like a bunch of strong bitter herbs with a real “I shoulda' used a chaser” back taste ! You’ve just got to “Cowboy Up” a little bit. It’s worth the results though!
Hi, emm76 and mountainqb. Unfortunately, my daughter was forced to stop nursing after only 4 weeks. She tried everything including the cabbage leaves, but the mastitis turned into blocked ducts, more infections and eventually, her milk dried up completely. She IS using a soy based formula! I am quite concerned emm76, now that you brought up the possibe association with soy and thyroid disorders!!!! Mountainqb, I could not bring up the link that you provided, but I will try to enter different key words into the search window. Either way, I will do some research. Her Ped is concerned that regular milk based formulas may cause allergies. She is an MD but practices more along the lines of Homeopathy and does not vaccinate. She treats children with dietary changes and natural supplements over conventional drugs... I really like her, and if I can provide her with some information, I know that she will be open to a good alternative formula. Thanks to both of you, for the heads up. I appreciate it!!!!