If you haven’t, let me share a little about its appeal…

First off, it’s not just a drink. Some call it an experience — one that should probably be kept to a minimum, as it involves sugar, a variety of flavors and toppings.

But what really defines this drink sensation is the boba — chewy tapioca pearls swimming in your drink.

That means you can simultaneously sip your tasty tea and enjoy the “mastication pleasure” of smooth, soft beads bouncing around your mouth until you “pop” them, taking this sensory experience to the next level: chewy sweetness.

But as I mentioned, it’s not the healthiest of drinks, as most fad foods aren’t. But what if you could add beads or pearls to your drink that did more than give your mouth something tasty to chew on?

Like tiny green tea beads that trap fat and melt away pounds …

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Fat-absorbing microbeads without the nasty side effects

The quest for a magic weight loss pill is still alive and well.

However, today’s popular GLP-1 agonists, gastric bypass, and the gut-wrenching Olestra chips of the 90s, prove the journey to prevent dietary fat absorption is fraught with adverse side effects.

But there’s an interesting idea on the horizon…

A team of researchers led by Yue Wu, a graduate student at Sichuan University, was inspired to target the same sort of fat absorption without the negative side effects. “We want to develop something that works with how people normally eat and live,” Wu says.

They started by creating tiny plant-based spheres spontaneously formed through a series of chemical bonds between green tea polyphenols and vitamin E. These structures can form chemical tethers to fat droplets, serving as the “fat-binding core” of the microbeads.

The researchers then coated the spheres in a natural polymer derived from seaweed to protect them from the stomach’s acidic environment. Once ingested, the protective coating expands in response to the acidic pH as the beads travel towards the intestine. There, the green tea polyphenols and vitamin E compounds bind to and trap partially digested fats, which are ultimately eliminated.

Next, they tested the weight-loss treatment in rats…

The researchers divided the rats into three groups: those fed a diet of 60 percent fat with microbeads, those fed the same high-fat diet without microbeads, and those fed a normal diet of 10 percent fat. All the rats were fed these diets for 30 days.

The results were astounding. Rats fed the high-fat diet with microbeads lost 17 percent of their total body weight, while rats in the other groups didn’t lose weight at all.

Additionally, rats on the high-fat microbead diet exhibited reduced adipose tissue and less liver damage compared to those on the other two diets. They also excreted more fat in their feces compared to rats not given microbeads, and the extra fat had no apparent ill effects on their health.

Then, when comparing rats on the high-fat microbead diet with rats treated with orlistat, the researchers observed that the high-fat microbead rats showed similar intestinal fat excretion without the gastrointestinal side effects observed in the orlistat-treated rats.

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Safe weight loss inspired by boba tea

These preliminary results look promising…

The researchers say this microbead approach to weight loss may be safer and more accessible than surgery or pharmaceuticals.

“Losing weight can help some people prevent long-term health issues like diabetes and heart disease,” Wu says. “Our microbeads work directly in the gut to block fat absorption in a noninvasive and gentle way.”

The microbeads are nearly flavorless, and the researchers believe they can easily be integrated into people’s diets: for example, as small tapioca- or boba-sized balls added to desserts and bubble teas.

Wu and her team are collaborating with a biotechnology company to produce the plant-based beads using food-grade, FDA-approved ingredients.

The researchers have also initiated a human clinical trial in collaboration with the West China Hospital of Sichuan University.

“This represents a major step toward clinical translation of our polyphenol-based microbeads, following our foundational results,” Wu says. “We have officially enrolled 26 participants in our investigator-initiated trial, and we anticipate that preliminary data may become available within the next year.”

So if you’ve been waiting to jump on the bubble tea trend, you may be in luck, especially if the next generation can boast safe weight loss along with that “mastication pleasure!”

Source:

1. Tiny green tea beads trap fat and melt away pounds without side effects — ScienceDaily

The post Green tea beads: The next big thing in weight loss appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But what would be even better is if we could do the same thing for our brains.

After all, the accumulation of damaging amyloid proteins in our brains is what leads to memory problems and puts us on the path to severe cognitive decline.

Now, researchers are discovering how to scrub our brains clean with the power of two natural compounds that, when combined, reverse age-related cellular deficits and improve the brain cells’ ability to clear away damaging buildup.

Here’s what you need to know…

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Energy decline equals protein buildup

According to the researchers, the problems with aging in our brains are due to a lack of energy. That’s probably not a surprise to any of us who have found it more challenging to concentrate and focus with every passing year.

Lead author Gregory Brewer explains that, “As people age, their brains show a decline in neuronal energy levels, which limits the ability to remove unwanted proteins and damaged components.”

A contributor to this buildup is declining levels of guanosine triphosphate, an essential energy molecule for mitochondria — your brain’s energy hubs.

Think of it this way…

Your brain has a natural system that acts like a vacuum cleaner, sucking up and getting rid of amyloid proteins. But it has to have the energy available to power that vacuum.

The solution? Reinstate youthful levels of guanosine triphosphate — and that’s what Brewer and his team are working on…

The supplements that provide the solution

They discovered that a combination of naturally occurring compounds — nicotinamide (a form of vitamin B3) and epigallocatechin gallate (a green tea antioxidant) — restored brain energy levels in aged neurons to those typically seen in younger cells in just 24 hours.

And this revival triggered a cascade of benefits, including improved energy metabolism and efficient clearance of amyloid beta aggregates — hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.

According to Brewer, “We found that restoring energy levels helps neurons regain this critical cleanup function.”

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To top it off, restoring brain energy levels also reduced oxidative stress, which leads to neurodegeneration in the brain.

Past research has shown that limiting oxidative stress can reduce the damage typically caused by beta-amyloid.

As Brewer points out, “By supplementing the brain’s energy systems with compounds that are already available as dietary supplements, we may have a new path toward treating age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.”

It seems then that the one-two supplement punch of nicotinamide and epigallocatechin gallate could be the start to revving up mitochondrial energy in the brain and cleaning out cognitive decline for better brain health — no matter what your age.

However, we’re not there yet…

He cautioned, “More work is going to be required to find the best way to administer this treatment, since a recent clinical trial involving UC Irvine researchers showed that oral nicotinamide was not very effective because of inactivation in the bloodstream.”

Until then, you can read here about how to start supporting your power-generating mitochondria today.

Sources:

UC Irvine researchers find combination of natural compounds for brain cleaning — EurekAlert!

The post Researchers find ‘cleaning combo’ clears brain buildup appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, studies have linked green tea to improving everything from blood pressure to eyesight. Green tea supports gut health and may even enhance weight loss.

And because a single cup of green tea is chock full of caffeine and antioxidants known as catechins, as well as vitamins with proven neuroprotective effects, time after time, scientists have set out to see whether or not green tea may also be the holy grail of cognitive health….

However, it’s been a connection that’s been difficult to unravel.

So is green tea the answer to brain and memory support and avoiding the conditions that can rob it all?

Here’s why that’s a hard question to answer…

On the plus side: fewer white matter lesions

Recent research, published in the journal Nature, investigated the association between green tea consumption and cerebral white matter lesions and hippocampal and total brain volumes among almost 9,000 older adults.

MRI results determined that people who drank more green tea were significantly less likely to suffer from white matter lesions.

These lesions are thought to result from small-vessel disease and are considered to be a risk factor for dementia.

Drinking green tea is the way to go then, right?

Not so fast…

The negative: reduced grey matter volume

While the Nature study showed that green tea can have a positive effect on the brain, a different study says it could be risky…

And, because the number of study participants was far larger (the scientists examined the data from over 500,000 people), these results could be even more significant.

The results of this study found an extra cup of tea consumed per day was significantly associated with the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The scientists determined that the number of cups of tea consumed daily was inversely related to gray matter volume and right hippocampal volume.

This is important since gray matter volume reduction is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s, indicating neuron loss and subsequent cognitive decline.

Decreased brain volume of gray matter in the right hippocampus is known to lead to declines in language and memory functions.

Cognitive support without the guesswork

When it comes to drinking green tea for brain health, on the one hand, it seems great — but on the other, not so great.

That’s why to support my brain, I feed it phosphatidylserine (PS for short) — one of the most tested nootropics for brain and memory support.

In one multi-university study, subjects who took PS showed improvement in cognition, including reasoning, learning, memory, and recalling numbers, names and faces.

Another study performed in Italy found that phosphatidylserine helped support the ability to remember.

Lastly, a third study at a world-famous memory clinic found that PS works to support comprehension and attention.

When you realize PS is a key building block of the brain, found in high concentrations in brain cells called neurons, it’s no wonder.

I still enjoy my green tea in moderation. But I’m a lot more confident about what PS is doing for my brain.

Sources:

Green tea consumption and cerebral white matter lesions in community-dwelling older adults without dementia – Nature

Extra cup of tea intake associated with increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease: Genetic insights from Mendelian randomization – Frontiers

Green tea extracts may turn superfood’s benefits harmful – Easy Health Options

The post Is green tea the holy grail for brain health? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s so common a behavior that it has a name: stress eating.

No surprise there, right? You’re stressed, and that ice cream is just so comforting, and you deserve those guilty pleasures, right? But you don’t deserve the detrimental effects of stress eating…

Overeating junk food can lead to obesity. And obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, as well as arthritis, gout, breathing and sleeping problems, and asthma.

You may not be able to stop stress eating tomorrow. But a recent study may have found a rather pleasant way for you to make all that fat you’re consuming less harmful.  

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Flavonoids to the rescue

“We know that when people are stressed, they tend to gravitate towards high-fat foods. We have previously shown that fatty food can impair the body’s vascular recovery from stress. In this study, we wanted to see if adding a high-flavanol food to the fatty meal would alleviate the negative impact of stress in the body,” says Dr Catarina Rendeiro, Assistant Professor in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Birmingham, and the study’s lead author.

In other words, they set out to combat bad nutrition with powerful nutrients to counteract the harmful effects.

Pretty exciting, right? But does it work…

Flavanol-rich drinks protect vascular function

The researchers took a group of healthy young adults and fed them a high-fat breakfast: two butter croissants with 10 grams of salted butter, a slice of cheddar cheese and 250 ml of whole milk.

Half of them had a high-flavanol cocoa or a low-flavanol cocoa drink with their breakfast.

After breakfast, both groups completed a mental math test, which increased in speed for eight minutes. During the test, their forearm blood flow and cardiovascular activity were measured, along with oxygenation of their prefrontal cortex.

Notably, the researchers used brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) as a measurement of vascular activity. FMD is known to be a good predictor of the risk for future heart disease.

Those who drank the low-flavanol drink saw a reduction of 1.29% FMD, while those who drank the high-flavanol cocoa had no decline at all in vascular function.

Dr Catarina Rendeiro, Assistant Professor in Nutritional Sciences at the University of Birmingham and lead author of the study, explains what this means:

“This research shows that drinking or eating a food high in flavanols can be used as a strategy to mitigate some of the impact of poorer food choices on the vascular system. This can help us make more informed decisions about what we eat and drink during stressful periods,” says Dr. Rendeiro.

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Add flavanols to your diet

Now, this isn’t a free license to go crazy eating chips and ice cream. But if you do, you may want to add some flavanols.

When shopping, look for minimally processed cocoa powder. And if hot chocolate isn’t something you enjoy, you can get a high dose of flavanols from green or black tea.

You can get the daily recommended intake of flavanols, 400-600 mg/day, by drinking two cups of black or green tea.

Other foods that are high in flavanols include:

• Onions
• Kale
• Peaches
• Berries
• Tomatoes
• Broccoli

Even red wine and chocolate are flavanol-rich! Just consume them in moderation and you’ll be fine.

Sources:

Cocoa or green tea could protect you from the negative effects of fatty foods during mental stress – study — Eureka Alert

Cocoa flavanols rescue stress-induced declines in endothelial function after a high-fat meal, but do not affect cerebral oxygenation during stress in young, healthy adults —Food & Function

The post The drink to save your heart from high-fat stress eating appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

You can’t even hop onto Facebook or Instagram without a lash-loving influencer sharing how-to videos or pushing lash extension brands. It’s enough to make you wonder if you shouldn’t give them a try.

Long lashes are coveted by women of every age, but before you head off to the salon, it’s important to understand the “price” you might pay — and if it’s worth it…

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The function and purpose of eyelashes

Eyelashes aren’t just beautiful. They’re functional too.

Your eye is exposed to numerous elements every single day, including viruses and dangerous bacteria, looking for any opening they can find.

However, an important function of your eyelashes is keeping these airborne particles away from the eye’s surface.

Additionally, they help the eye stay lubricated when you blink, preventing dry eyes and reducing risk of infection.

When women near menopause they can experience some hair loss and this can also affect changes to their eyelashes (they are actually short hairs). They may appear less full, become brittle and seem to lose their upward curve.

It’s easy to see then why eyelash extensions, made up of individual fibers usually attached to each natural lash or lash line, could make anyone feel better about their lashes.

But they’re certainly not problem-free…

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Health dangers of eyelash extensions

Lash extensions can be made of different types of material, including everything from silk to hair from mink or horses. They can even be formed from things like nylon or plastic.

Extensions are most often attached to the base of the lash line using glue. This means that either the fibers themselves or the glue can create health concerns.

The most common risks associated with extensions include:

1. Lash breakage – If eyelash extensions are not applied properly, your own lashes can break off.
2. Permanent loss of your own lashes – The glue used can cause damage to hair follicles, causing you to permanently lose your real eyelashes.
3. Allergic reaction – Although most technicians will do a pre-appointment patch test, usually on the wrist or behind the ear, allergic reactions to the glue used in applying eyelash extensions can still occur. In fact, one study found that over 40 percent of women who received extensions had an allergic reaction to the adhesive.
4. Infection – Eyelash extensions are much harder than normal lashes. They can swing down like a door, scratching your cornea and causing an infection.
5. Misapplication – Because the glue used for extensions should never come into contact with the eye’s surface, proper application is critical. Sadly, there have been numerous cases of people gluing their eyelids together when trying to apply extensions.
6. Keratoconjunctivitis – Research into eyelash extensions found that over 60 percent of women reported suffering from keratoconjunctivitis after getting the glue into their eyes. In this condition both your cornea and conjunctiva are inflamed, causing itchy, irritated eyes, blurry vision and sensitivity to light.
7. Toxic conjunctivitis – When eyelash glue comes into contact with the eye’s surface it can lead to toxic conjunctivitis and conjunctival erosion. When this happens, the layer of cells on the surface of the cornea, known as the epithelium, loosens from the layer underneath. Not only is this condition quite painful, it can also cause problems with your vision.
8.  Blepharitis – Blepharitis or inflammation or irritation of the eyelids is the most commonly reported condition caused by eyelash extensions. Blepharitis occurs when the glands within the eyelash follicles at the edge of your eyelids become blocked. The result is a build-up of dangerous bacteria, blocking follicle secretion and leading to inflammation.
9.  Mite infestation – Poor lash tool hygiene can allow mites to move from one person to the next and leave you with a nasty lash mite infestation.
10.  Cancer – If all that weren’t enough, research has shown that approximately 75 percent of professional glues used in eyelash extensions released formaldehyde, a recognized cancer-causing chemical. It’s the same chemical used to embalm cadavers.

Clearly, eyelash extensions may not be all their cracked up to be.

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Longer lashes naturally

There are a few ways you can encourage long, thick lashes naturally.

Consider applying a green tea compress to the eyelids. Experts say that its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, plus its panthenol and caffeine content, may work to hydrate lashes and stimulate hair growth.

Also, consider taking supplements like biotin and omega-3s. While biotin is best known for strengthening and protecting hair growth, omega-3s help fight inflammation and nourish lashes to encourage healthy growth.

You may also want to break out a lash curler. These inexpensive tools were made popular decades ago and, when used carefully and hygienically, can give your lashes a curvy lift. Then if you carefully apply mascara mostly at the base of your lashes, you’ll be batting thicker-looking lashes in no time.

What about eyelash serums? The American Academy of Ophthalmology has some warnings you’ll want to read to make a well-informed decision.

Finally, if you still opt for extensions, look for a reputable salon that practices good hygiene and avoids formaldehyde extension glues.

Sources:

10 Ways Grow Longer Eyelashes, According to a Dermatologist — Byrdie

Eyelash Extensions Can Be Seriously Dangerous, Expert Warns — Science Alert

The post 10 serious reasons to rethink lash extensions appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Unhealthy gums have been linked to weight gain, lung infections, heart failure, brain shrinkage and prostate trouble.

And this one may shock you: Poor oral health is one of the ten leading causes of loss of healthy longevity!

Luckily, there’s a new hero on the horizon to put a stop to those risks, by pulling the plug on the bacteria responsible for the disease in the first place — and it already has an impressive reputation as an anti-aging superfood…

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Green tea on steroids

The hero is matcha — a supercharged green tea made from the raw leaves of the Camellia sinensis green tea plant.

In fact, much of the amazing benefits of matcha come from the fact that it has 137 times more antioxidants than regular green tea.

That means 137 times more free-radical scavenging, inflammation-fighting and anti-aging power — in one little cup!

And that could be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to matcha especially when you consider that simple green tea extract can stop the growth of dangerous germs like E. coli.

It’s even been shown to keep P. gingivalis (the bacteria responsible for gum disease) from growing and reduce its adherence to the epithelial cells in the mouth.

Matcha versus gum disease

Researchers in Japan decided to put matcha to the test against P. gingivalis in a two-step test to determine the winner.

First, they pitted a matcha solution against 16 oral bacterial species, including three strains of P. gingivalis.

The matcha mouthwash showed little activity against healthy strains of oral bacteria. This is good news because regular mouthwash, like what you get at the drugstore, damages the oral microbiome by killing good bacteria in your mouth responsible for health-promoting processes.

But within 2 hours, nearly all the cultured P. gingivalis cells had been killed. After four hours of exposure, all the gum disease-causing germs were dead.

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Next, the researchers recruited 45 people with chronic periodontitis, randomly assigning them to three groups.

One group used barley tea mouthwash, the second was given a mouthwash made from matcha extract and the third went with a prescription mouthwash for inflammation.

And after analysis, the matcha mouthwash users were the clear winners…

The analysis revealed that patients in the group that used matcha mouthwash showed a significant reduction in the level of P. gingivalis compared to the two other groups.

Raise a cup for a healthy mouth

So if you’re ready to fight off gum disease, consider ditching your traditional mouthwash and trying matcha instead.

You could make it a habit to sip a cup or two during your day, or even allow it to cool and swish it around your teeth and gums.

Matcha is easy to find both online and in grocery stores. It’s typically a powdered tea you whisk into hot water.

It’s definitely worth a try. Some holistic dentists even say, that according to studies, it may protect teeth from erosion and reverse tooth decay.

In addition to adding matcha to your oral care routine, follow these 6 steps to reduce your risk for gum disease naturally.

Sources:

Matcha mouthwash inhibits bacteria that causes periodontitis — EurekAlert!

Green Tea and Your Teeth: How Matcha Improves Oral Health — Rejuvenation Health

The post The tea that takes down gum disease-causing bacteria appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

For most, the condition is asymptomatic. But at least a quarter of women with fibroids experience significant symptoms such as pelvic or lower back pain, heavy bleeding, exhaustion, pain during sex, complications during pregnancy and labor and bladder or rectum pressure.

Uterine fibroids are typically found in women of childbearing age, with most developing them by age 50. The condition usually stabilizes, and symptoms lessen or go away on their own once a woman goes through menopause and her hormones decline — particularly estrogen.

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Until then, those who suffer from fibroid symptoms don’t have a lot of resources for managing those problems, other than surgery, OTC pain relievers and one type of drug that can be used to shrink fibroids: gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHas).

Unfortunately, GnRHas are only used for a limited amount of time to inhibit estrogen production. They come with a list of side effects, including hot flashes, depression, insomnia, decreased sex drive and joint pain. They also only work to shrink fibroids during the time they are used. Once stopped, the fibroids will begin growing again.

This is why investigators are exploring other nonsurgical options for shrinking the tumors. And there’s one compound that growing evidence shows may help…

EGCG acts on specific fibroid proteins

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers conducted a preclinical, proof-of-concept study using laboratory-grown human fibroid cells treated with an extract of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is the predominant compound found in green tea and has powerful antioxidant properties and has shown promise in previous research involving treatment of uterine fibroids and their symptoms.

“There is no standard protocol for uterine fibroid disease management or prevention, no tools to prevent their growth, so finding a safe nonsurgical therapy is important,” says Dr. James Segars, professor of gynecology and obstetrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The Johns Hopkins researchers specifically designed their study to identify how EGCG interacts with fibroid cells.  

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Compared to normal cells, uterine fibroid cells have a large extracellular matrix, the network of macromolecules and minerals in tissues that support but are not part of the cells themselves. Because of this, the researchers set up their experiments to see if treating cells with EGCG affects the protein expression associated with this matrix.

The fibroid cells were dosed with EGCG in growth media for 24 hours. Then, a laboratory technique used to detect a specific protein in blood or tissue was performed. The team looked at three specific proteins in their testing: the matrix protein fibronectin; cyclin D1, a protein involved with cell division; and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) protein.

When comparing the EGCG-treated fibroid cells to untreated cells, they found EGCG reduced protein levels of fibronectin by 46 to 52 percent and decreased CTGF proteins by up to 86 percent. They also discovered EGCG disrupted pathways involved in fibroid tumor cell growth.

“The results from this study show that EGCG targets many signaling pathways involved in fibroid growth, particularly the extracellular matrix,” says study lead author Md Soriful Islam, Ph.D., M.Sc., a postdoctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

“EGCG supplements could be an easily accessible and natural way to relieve symptoms and slow fibroid growth.”

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Reach for tea bags instead of green tea extract

These results add to growing evidence that EGCG may reduce fibroid cell growth and help support an ongoing clinical trial of EGCG in women with fibroids who are seeking pregnancy.

The researchers suggest future studies on EGCG will also include clinical trials with large and diverse patient groups to identify optimal doses as well as possible side effects. Until then, they caution women not to start taking green tea extract to treat fibroids until more is known.

 In previous research using data from the Minnesota Green Tea Trial, a large study of green tea extract’s effects on breast cancer, Rutgers researchers discovered a small subset of people in whom EGCG increased stress on their livers, which could potentially lead to damage or even failure of the organ.

However, for most people drinking a cup or two of green tea is perfectly safe, since the amount of EGCG isn’t concentrated. Not only could that provide some relief but a host of other health benefits green tea offers as well.

Getting enough of the vitamins D and B6 may also help. Combining these two nutrients with EGCG was shown in one study to reduce total fibroid volume by 34.7 percent in women who took the combo twice daily for four months.

Sources:

New study using human fibroid cells supports use of green tea compound as treatment for uterine fibroids — EurekAlert!

Targeting fibrotic signaling pathways by EGCG as a therapeutic strategy for uterine fibroids — Scientific Reports

Uterine fibroids — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health

The post How green tea may shrink uterine fibroids appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In the U.S. depression affects one in 10 of us, and it often goes untreated.

One study found among those newly diagnosed with depression, only about a third get treatment. That number dips further among older people. In fact, patients over the age of 60 were half as likely to seek treatment for depression as those under age 44.

But, even with treatment, depression can be a tough nut to crack. Roughly 31 percent of people with depression have either no response or a poor response to medication.

With those odds, it’s helpful to know of complementary or alternative therapies that may help manage depression.

Take green tea, for instance.

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Previous research has found that people who drink four or more cups of green tea daily are 44 percent less likely to have symptoms of depression than those who drink only one cup per day or less.

Another study showed an association between frequent consumption of green tea and a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in the community-dwelling elderly population.

But to understand how tea could truly affect the brain’s mood center, scientists turned to mice — and what they found is extremely encouraging…

The impact of matcha

Matcha is a powdered form of green tea that has over a thousand more antioxidant levels than its whole-leaf green tea counterparts. When you boil regular green tea, you throw away the leaves, which contain most of the antioxidants. Because matcha uses the entire leaf pulverized into a powder, it contains all of green tea’s antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins and minerals.

How could matcha possibly affect depression? It may come down to matcha’s effect on the brain’s happy chemicals: serotonin and dopamine. Both carry messages between nerve cells in the brain.

Serotonin influences learning, memory, and happiness and regulates body temperature, sleep, sexual behavior and hunger. Dopamine impacts mood and motivation, as well as learning, heart rate, sleep, attention, and pain processing, among other functions.

Experts believe a lack of one or both of these chemical messengers may contribute to depression. For instance, inadequate levels of dopamine can make a person feel less motivated and less interested in life.

In an animal study involving mice, when the researchers examined the mice’s brains, they found that matcha appeared to affect systems of dopamine in stress-sensitive mice. These results suggest that matcha causes an antidepressant-like effect by activating the dopaminergic system in the brain.

The study results also indicate that mental state is an important factor that affects the physiological benefits of matcha since only the mice under high mental stress were impacted, compared to another group of mice.

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Making matcha at home

Other studies on green tea and depression have identified two ingredients potentially responsible for its feel-good effects. One is L-theanine, a calming amino acid known to reduce mental and physical stress and enhance crucial neurotransmitter activity.

The other is a potent antioxidant known as epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which contributes to an increase in brain alpha wave activity. When you’re in an alpha wave state, you’re awake and alert but relaxed.

You can now buy the tea at many grocery stores or online. Just make sure you get the actual powdered matcha, and that it’s 100 percent matcha with no fillers or sweeteners.

To make matcha, take roughly a quarter teaspoon and put it through a small sifter into your cup. Matcha clumps very easily, so you want to make sure your drink isn’t lumpy.

Next, pour in two ounces of hot (not boiling) water. You want the water to be just below the boiling point. Then you need a whisk to stir it — a fork or spoon won’t mix it enough.

Whisk the matcha vigorously in a zig-zag motion. Don’t do it in a circular motion or you won’t get that foamy top that’s characteristic of good matcha. A bamboo whisk known as a chasen, can make the whisking process easier and more complete.

After the tea has dissolved and a foamy top has appeared, pour in another six ounces of hot water, whisk again until foamy, and serve. Or, if you want to make your own matcha latte, add six ounces of heated milk instead of water.

Sources:

Could matcha tea have anti-depressant properties? — Medical News Today

Matcha Tea Powder’s Antidepressant-like Effect through the Activation of the Dopaminergic System in Mice Is Dependent on Social Isolation Stress — Nutrients

Vast Majority of People With Depression Aren’t Getting Treatment, Global Review Finds — Science Alert

Why Are So Many People With Depression Not Getting Treatment? — Forbes

Green tea and coffee consumption is inversely associated with depressive symptoms in a Japanese working population — Public Health Nutrition

Green tea consumption is associated with depressive symptoms in the elderly — The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Matcha 101 – What It Is and How to Use It — Love & Lemons

The post Matcha tea: Nature’s antidepressant in a cup appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

From guarding your body against metabolic syndrome and improving blood pressure numbers to keeping your mouth healthy, it’s often considered the holy grail of drinks.

So if drinking green tea is so good for you, wouldn’t leveling up its power and using a high-dose green tea extract be even better?

Not so fast…

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The health benefits of green tea

But before we jump into what we’ve learned about green tea extracts, let’s take a look at why we should all be adding green tea to our daily sipping schedule:

• Protection from DNA damage – Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant found in green tea, has been found to boost levels of a natural anticancer protein known as p53. It’s a protein that acts as a guarding for your genome, capable of repairing DNA damage and destroying cancerous cells.
• Lower blood pressure – A study in China found green tea was associated with a 6 percent lower risk of hypertensive BP.
• Better eyesight – Green tea has also been shown to strengthen the eyes and protect against two common causes of vision loss, cataracts and glaucoma.
• Improved gut health – Poor gut health can put you at risk for everything from diabetes to heart disease. But green tea has been found to decrease gut inflammation to help ward off disease.
• Potent antibacterial activity – This may surprise you, but green tea has so much antibacterial power, it works to fight off a multitude of disease-causing bacteria, including bacteria that target your mouth and skin. It’s even strong enough to go after tuberculosis (TB).
• A slimmer, trimmer body – And if all that weren’t enough, the caffeine and antioxidants found in green tea can also enhance weight loss by increasing metabolic rate and fat burning, both at rest and during exercise.

Clearly, the benefits of green tea really stack up! Does that mean more is better?

Use caution with green tea extracts

But when it comes to green tea, like many other things — you can get too much of a good thing…

Using data from the Minnesota Green Tea Trial, a large study of green tea’s effect on breast cancer, Rutgers researchers discovered a small subset of people in whom too much of the predominant compound found in green tea — epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) — increased stress on their livers, which could potentially lead to damage or even failure of the organ.

Now mind you, they took in 843 mg daily via green tea extracts — that’s the equivalent of about 8 to 10 cups of green tea daily — over a one-year period.

The researchers found that early signs of liver damage were more common in women with one variation in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype and strongly predicted by a variation in the uridine 5’-diphospho-glucuronosyltransferase 1A4 (UGT1A4) genotype.

For this high-risk group, signs of liver stress increased by a whopping 80 percent after just nine months of consuming a green tea supplement.

However, even the people without that genetic issue weren’t out of the woods. According to the researchers, people that were part of the low-risk genotypes saw the same enzyme go up by 30 percent.

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The takeaway?

According to Hamed Samavat, senior author of the study and an assistant professor of nutrition sciences at the Rutgers School of Health Professions, “We’re still a long way from being able to predict who can safely take high-dose green tea extract.”

But Samavat noted the risk of liver toxicity is only associated with high levels of green tea supplements and not with drinking green tea or even taking lower doses of green tea extract.

Green tea is an incredible tool in your arsenal to promote health and keep your body at its best. Just be sure to do it sensibly and avoid high-dose green tea extracts.

For most people, one to four cups of green tea daily is considered safe. The amount of EGCG in an 8-ounce cup of green tea ranges between 50 to 100 mg. So if four cups deliver 400 mg, that’s less than half of the amount that caused potential liver problems in the groups at risk in the Rutgers study.

Sources:

Not Safe for Everybody: The Hidden Risk of Green Tea Extract – SciTechDaily

The post Green tea extracts may turn superfood’s benefits harmful appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But it also goes hand-in-hand with chronic kidney disease. Either way, it can destroy heart function, leading to heart attack and even death.

But, knowing it’s bad for us and actually understanding how it happens (much less how to stop it) are two very different things.

There’s always advice on what to eat and what do — like exercise more — but how much do those things really help?

Well, thanks to a new study, scientists have learned more about the process that causes our arteries to harden — and that’s valuable information if you want to try to avoid that longevity killer…

Mineral accumulation in a surprising place

Put simply, the hardening of the arteries is the accumulation of minerals in their lining. Once these minerals build up, your arteries can no longer flex but instead become stiff, making it harder for your heart to pump the blood your body needs.

Your blood pressure goes up, blood clots are more likely to form, and your life is put at risk.

For decades now, researchers and medical professionals have assumed that this process begins in the collagen that reinforces your artery walls. After all, the theory made sense due to the fact that collagen is essential for the normal mineralization of our teeth and bones.

However, a team of scientists from McGill University has now found the process that happens in our arteries is quite different…

Instead, researchers saw that elastin, the material that gives arteries their elasticity so they can expand and contract in response to the pumping of the heart to facilitate blood flow, is where an abundance of minerals get deposited.

Yup, the elastin that’s supposed to make your arteries stretchy is the part that actually hardens first.

And that happens because of what they discovered in the second part of the study: early-stage calcium phosphate minerals had been collecting in the elastin-containing layers of diseased mouse arteries.

So now, we know that mineralization of elastin is one of the very first (and therefore most important) steps down the dangerous road to hardened arteries, and that information may help modern medicine come up with treatment options to block mineralization in arteries sometime in the future.

Keeping elastin elastic

With my family history of heart disease, I have spent years researching what I can do to keep my arteries healthy. Let me share what I’ve found…

Though still somewhat controversial, as far as conventional medicine goes, scientists are trying a nano chelation therapy to help prevent calcium (a mineral) buildup in the arteries of patients with kidney disease.

The theory behind chelation therapy is that it helps sweep away minerals and heavy metals (it’s government-approved for treating lead poisoning). Typically administered through IV, under the guidance of a doctor, chelation therapy delivers EDTA to help bind to minerals and flush them from the body.

But despite its long history of use, it’s not widely accepted in the medical community. But it looks like that could be changing. Hopefully, the kidney disease research will be successful enough that the treatment will be available for anyone that wants to avoid the hardening of the arteries.

Until then, there are ways to just support the health of our arteries, starting with diet. The Mediterranean diet should top the list of artery-loving diets, because of its focus on healthy oils: olive oil and omega-3s from fish.

The Med diet also includes lots of fruit and vegetables. Many fruits contain resveratrol, a powerful antioxidant shown in studies to reduce artery stiffness, even in people with type 2 diabetes (a condition that increases your risk for hardening of the arteries).

The Med diet is also great to maintain healthy blood pressure. It’s rich in nutrients that support blood vessel health, like:

• Vitamin K2 – found in fermented foods and dairy, like full-fat Greek yogurt, and a Japanese food called natto. A study of 4,807 people supplemented with vitamin K2 found that they experienced a 52 percent reduction in calcium deposits — as well as a 41 percent lower risk of serious heart problems.
• Grape Seed Extract – Grape seed extract delivers heart-healthy polyphenols that activate nitric oxide in the lining of your blood vessels to keep blood platelets from sticking together by relaxing arteries.
• Green Tea Extract – Phytochemicals in green tea, called catechins, have been proven to reduce oxidative stress and soothe inflammation to support better heart and blood vessel health.

Taking care of your arteries can go a long way to maintaining your good health. Start with a healthy Mediterranean-style diet, moderate exercise and take advantage of natural ways to keep your arteries smooth, supple and strong.

Sources:

1. How High Blood Pressure Can Lead to a Heart Attack — American Heart Association
2. McGill research team studies how calcium compounds accumulate in the arteries — EurekAlert!
3. Resveratrol Might Help Diabetics’ Arteries — WebMD

The post There’s more than meets the eye about how our arteries harden appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

About four years ago, we reported on research showing that sugar may over-activate proteins found in cancer cells, causing rapid and excessive cell growth.

Sugar is like a gourmet meal for cancer cells. They prefer to live off of sugar, since it breaks down very quickly — a phenomenon known as the Warburg effect.

And, over five years ago, you may have read here about research that connected sugar intake with breast cancer.

Now, a new study points to a specific and, unfortunately, quite popular sugary drink that puts women with breast cancer at increased risk of dying from the disease.

Sweet soda linked to breast cancer deaths

A team of researchers from the University of Buffalo’s Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health conducted a study that examined the connection between drinking sugar-sweetened soda and rates of death from breast cancer.

The study subjects were 927 women ranging in age from 35 to 79, all of whom had been diagnosed with breast cancer. All were enrolled in the Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer (WEB) Study and were followed for a median of nearly 19 years. 

Compared to women who never or rarely drank sugary soda, those who reported drinking it five times or more per week had a 62 percent higher likelihood of dying from any cause and were 85 percent more likely to die from breast cancer, specifically.

But why focus just on soda, you may ask?

Despite increased awareness of the downsides of drinking soda, half of the population consumes sugary drinks on a given day. One in four people gets at least 200 calories from soda, while five percent get at least 567 calories — the equivalent of four cans of soda — every day.

The huge amounts of sucrose and fructose in soda give them a higher glycemic load than other beverages or foods and increase cancer risk.

Just one example: one study found that a 100 mL per day increase in the consumption of sugary drinks was associated with an 18 percent increased risk of overall cancer and a whopping 22 percent increased risk of breast cancer!

What should you drink instead?

It’s pretty clear that all of us should be reaching for something better than soda to quench our thirst, but if you’re a breast cancer survivor, it’s certainly a necessity.

Of course, drinking water is a great option. According to Dr. Isaac Eliaz, “attempting to function without enough water is like trying to run a car that doesn’t have enough oil to lubricate its system.”

But if you want to take water beyond thirst-quenching and actually use it as an effective tool in a cancer-prevention lifestyle — drop a tea bag in it!

Green tea is well known for its concentration of catechins, believed to be behind many of its reported health benefits, but it’s not the only option…

Green tea and rooibos tea contain compounds called epigallocatechin, which prevent binding to receptor cells, reduce tumor volume, prevent DNA damage, decrease inflammation, strengthen cells, directly stop cell growth and cause cancer cell death, along with reducing recurrence rates in those who have had cancer.

And oolong tea gives green tea a run for its money. A research team at Saint Louis University examined the effects of oolong extract versus extracts of green, black and dark teas on six different breast cancer cell lines, including triple-negative breast cancer cells (a type of cancer that’s immune to many of the common treatments).

They found that both green tea and oolong tea stopped the growth of all types of cancer cells.

In fact, the researchers said, “Oolong tea, same as green tea, can induce DNA damage, play an inhibitory role in breast cancer cell growth, proliferation and tumorigenesis and [it has] great potential as a chemopreventative agent against breast cancer.”

If you’re a breast cancer survivor, the last thing you want is to make your odds any harder. Ditch the sodas for a soothing cup of tea and feel better about healthier choices and a healthier future.

Try this recipe for a cherry-lime rooibos tea cooler. Rooibos tea has a natural sweetness and is much less bitter than green tea can be.

Sources:

Not so sweet: increased risk of death among breast cancer patients who drink sugar-sweetened soda — technology.org

Sugar-Sweetened Soda Consumption and Total and Breast Cancer Mortality: The Western New York Exposures and Breast Cancer (WEB) Study — Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention

A Nine-Year Collaboration Has Just Shown How Sugar Influences Cancer Cell Growth — Science Alert

The post The one drink breast cancer survivors should avoid appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Some of their findings are super easy to implement too…

A new study out of Japan has found a simple answer to bringing down the risk of death following a heart attack and stroke — two drinks that could save your life.

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Should you go for coffee, green tea or both?

The study, published in Stroke, a journal of the American Stroke Association, specifically looked at the benefits of drinking either coffee or green tea — and how to decide which should be your drink of choice.

While past research had examined the role these two drinks can play in heart health for people without a history of heart disease, this study took things a step further, looking into what happens after you’ve already made it through an initial cardiovascular event.

The team of researchers analyzed the data from more than 46,000 participants from communities across Japan.  Every single person was asked to complete questionnaires that included information about everything from their demographics and lifestyle to their medical history and diet.

Next, the researchers divided them all into three groups based on whether they had a history of a stroke, a myocardial infarction (a fancy way of saying heart attack), or neither.

Then they took a deep dive into how much coffee or green tea the participants drank regularly, versus their chances of death.

And the results will make you want to pull out your mug:

• Compared to the people who rarely drank green tea, stroke survivors who consumed at least seven cups of green tea per day lowered their risk of all-cause mortality by a whopping 62 percent.
• For heart attack survivors, drinking a single cup of coffee daily reduced their overall risk of death by approximately 22 percent versus those who were more likely to skip that cup of Joe.
• Finally, for participants who had not ever suffered a heart attack or stroke, coffee was the big winner, reducing the risk of all-cause mortality by 14 percent at one or more cups per week, compared to non-coffee drinkers.

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So, which drink is right for you?

If you’ve had a stroke, the results of this study say regular green tea consumption should be on your to-do list. However, the researchers point out that in Japan where the study was performed, green tea is made with only water — no sugar.

So if you go for green tea, make sure to drink it the healthy way!

If you don’t care for its flavor in its original state, you can find options with natural spearmint, passionflower and more that dress up its taste and make it more palatable.

On the other hand, if you’ve had a heart attack, or are considered heart-healthy, your key to a long life could be coffee consumption instead. As for preparation, the researchers point out that in Japan, coffee is occasionally prepared with milk and sugar, but using unnecessary sugars should be a hard pass.

Sources:

Drinking green tea, coffee lowers risk of death for stroke and heart attack survivors — EurekAlert!

Long-Term Survival and Causes of Death After Stroke — Stroke

Elevated Death Risk After Heart Attack — WebMD

The post Best drink for stroke and heart attack survivors appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

As if those benefits aren’t enough, green tea has also been studied for its potential anticancer properties. In fact, a recent study has identified a key compound in the tea that appears to increase a natural cancer-killing protein known as the “guardian of the genome.”

EGCG could boost cancer-fighting protein

Researchers discovered epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant found in green tea, may increase levels of a natural anticancer protein known as p53. This protein guards the genome through its ability to repair DNA damage or destroy cancerous cells.

EGCG makes up 50 to 80 percent of the catechins in green tea, and a brewed cup contains between 200 and 300 mg of EGCG.

Chunyu Wang, corresponding author and a professor of biological sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, calls both p53 and EGCG “extremely interesting” molecules.

“Mutations in p53 are found in over 50 percent of human cancer, while EGCG is the major antioxidant in green tea, a popular beverage worldwide,” Wang says. “Now we find that there is a previously unknown, direct interaction between the two, which points to a new path for developing anticancer drugs. Our work helps to explain how EGCG is able to boost p53’s anticancer activity, opening the door to developing drugs with EGCG-like compounds.”

Wang’s expertise lies in using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study specific mechanisms in Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. This includes p53, which he describes as “arguably the most important protein in human cancer.”

Some of the ways in which p53 acts against cancer is by stopping cell growth to allow for DNA repair, activating DNA repair and initiating programmed cell death, or apoptosis, if the DNA damage is beyond repair. And one end of the protein, known as the N-terminal domain, has a flexible shape that allows it to serve several functions depending on its interaction with multiple molecules.

Usually, after being produced by the body, p53 is quickly degraded. Wang and his team found that when EGCG and p53 interact, it protects p53 against degradation.

Wang says, “When EGCG binds with p53, the protein is not being degraded through MDM2, so the level of p53 will increase with the direct interaction with EGCG, and that means there is more p53 for anticancer function. This is a very important interaction.”

The best way to prepare and drink green tea

If you’ve tried green tea before and found its taste to be too harsh or bitter, it’s likely because it wasn’t prepared correctly. To brew a proper cup, start with 2 grams or one teaspoon of tea leaves for every 6 to 8 ounces of water.  If you’re using prepackaged tea bags, one bag per cup of water is fine.

Use fresh tap or spring water, not distilled water, which can make your tea taste flat. If you’re a fan of bottled water, you may be happy to know that researchers at Cornell University found that brewing your green tea with bottled water doubles the EGCG content.

Unlike black tea, you don’t want to use boiling water for green tea — the water should be heated to 160 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. You can check the temperature with a food thermometer, or if you don’t have one, try letting the bubbles from the boiling water subside before pouring it over the tea. Don’t let the water cool down too much or you’ll risk not getting the full benefits of the tea.

If you’re using loose leaf tea, make sure you put the leaves in a strainer before pouring the water over them. Or you can pour the water over the loose tea, then use a strainer to pour the tea into a cup after it’s finished brewing.

After you’ve poured the water, keep a close eye on the clock. You only need to steep green tea for 1 to 2 minutes to take full advantage of its health properties. Any longer than that and you’re risking a bitter brew.

Since the tannins and caffeine in green tea can trigger stomach acid production, green tea is best consumed between meals, preferably right after a meal when your stomach is full. If you’re drinking green tea to help with weight loss, you can have a cup an hour before bedtime so you can take advantage of its fat-burning power while you sleep. But try not to drink green tea less than an hour before sleeping, as even that small amount of caffeine could interfere with your rest.

Sources:

Green Tea Compound Aids Tumor-Suppressing, DNA-Repairing Protein — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

EGCG binds intrinsically disordered N-terminal domain of p53 and disrupts p53-MDM2 interaction — Nature Communications

Green Tea Market Expected to Grow — World Tea News

How to Properly Drink Green Tea: The Do’s And Don’t’s to Maximize Green Tea Benefits — Wabi Sabi

How To Brew Green Tea — TheKitchn

How to Make a Perfect and Flavourful Cup of Green Tea — NDTV

The post Green tea boosts cancer-destroying ‘guardian of the genome’ appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

There’s no question the prevalence of diabetes has increased over the years in the U.S. In 2018, 34.2 million Americans, or 10.5 percent of the population have diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. It is estimated by 2024, the number of individuals affected by type 2 diabetes will increase to 65 percent to reach an estimated 380 million individuals worldwide.

Two types of diabetes

There are two main types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2; both are chronic diseases affecting the way your body regulates glucose.

People with type 1 diabetes don’t produce insulin and they require medication. People with type 2 diabetes have cells that are insulin resistant and have trouble making insulin. Depending on their severity, medication may be required, but diet is also extremely helpful in the management of type 2 diabetes.

When you have type 2 diabetes, your goal is to avoid food that could cause your blood sugar to go spike. Going too low could also be a problem. Most often that means avoiding certain types of food. But integrating dietary diabetes care into daily life could also be as simple as drinking coffee and green tea…

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Clinical outcomes

The effect of regular consumption of coffee and green tea have been studied extensively and may have potential health benefits due to the high amounts of antioxidants and phenols.

In fact, a newly released large study in Japan explored the potential impact of drinking green tea and coffee on the risk of death among people with diabetes. This study of 4923 people demonstrated that greater consumption of green tea and coffee was linked to a 63 percent lower all-cause mortality.

The combination of drinking 4 or more cups of green tea and at least two cups of coffee daily was the magic number resulting in the best outcomes.

Data from 18 studies with information from 457,922 participants who drank coffee found that every additional daily cup of coffee was associated with a 7 percent reduction in the risk of diabetes. The benefits were the same whether the coffee was caffeinated or decaffeinated.

Overall, this is promising news for people living with type 2 diabetes. Coffee drinkers outnumber green tea fans in the states, but that doesn’t mean you can’t branch out and try something new…

How to make green tea taste better

Although drinking green tea has multiple benefits for your health, some people don’t drink it because they don’t enjoy the taste. It can be a little bitter, but here are some ideas to help you enjoy your green tea more…

• Be sure to follow the suggested brew time of 3-5 minutes or less if the flavor is too strong.
• After the suggested brew time try adding some fresh lemon juice.
• Add fresh mint which can take off the bitter edge.
• Experiment with flavored green teas such as mango, pomegranate or blueberry.
• Add fresh cinnamon sticks. Cinnamon may also have positive effects on blood sugar.
• Add a little milk. Food Research International found that when you combine milk with green tea, absorption of catechins — an extremely beneficial compound in green tea – in the intestines is increased.
• Avoid adding sugar to your tea and coffee. Medical News Today has a list of safer sweeteners for diabetics including Stevia.

Sources:

Statistics about Diabetes  — ADA

Drinking green tea and coffee daily linked to lower death risk in people with diabetes — EurekaAlert!

Epidemiology & Research  — IDF Diabetes Atlas Ninth Edition

Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, and Tea Consumption in Relation to Incident Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus — JAMA

The post 2 drinks anyone with type 2 diabetes should be drinking appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

What are polyphenols? Polyphenols are all-natural and derived from plants, nuts, fruits and vegetables. There are three types of these natural chemicals, which are called catechins, that have potent therapeutic effects on various skin conditions.

Rosacea

Imagine having clear, flawless skin. People with rosacea have just the opposite. Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition leading to redness, bumps, pimples and thickening of the skin. This skin condition worsens if left untreated and often appears on fair skin, especially the face, chin, forehead and cheeks.

There is evidence about the main polyphenol component of green tea, EGCG, containing antioxidant, photoprotective and anti-inflammatory properties, reducing redness and inflammation on the skin of rosacea patients.

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Atopic dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) makes your skin red and itchy, and can occur at any age. These red and itchy symptoms vary widely and can be uncomfortable. Patients have traditionally used corticosteroids, which have many adverse side effects. A 2012 pilot study indicated that green tea bath therapy using green tea extracts is a safe and effective non-steroidal therapy that results in marked improvements for daily pruritus.

Wound healing

Chronic non-healing wounds affect millions of patients every year, along with a significant reduction in quality of life. Dr. Stephen Hsu, a cell biologist at the Medical College of Georgia, discovered EGCG reactivated dying skin cells, making DNA and producing more energy. In addition, the researchers found that EGCG helped to accelerate the wound-healing process and prevent scarring.

Applying green tea has anti-infective and anti-bacterial properties that enhance wound healing. It’s even been shown to work against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). These benefits may help reduce reliance on traditional antibiotics and cut down on antibiotic resistance.

Green tea baths

Although many people prefer the speed of showers, the love affair with tub baths has existed for centuries. But if you thought herbal or Epsom bath salts and bubbles were the limit for an indulgent bath, think again…

Try a green tea bath. The idea is to steep your tea for 15 minutes, then add it to your bathwater. Research supports the benefits of tea when bathing because of its antioxidant and antimicrobial qualities. The skin is the largest organ in the body, and bathing with tea allows it to absorb the tea and nutrients significantly faster than when drinking it.

Here are several benefits of a tea bath…

• Fights free radicals
• Reduces inflammation
• Reduces dandruff
• Helps treat acne
• Soothing and detoxifying
• Helps repair sun damage
• May delay skin cell aging
• Calming and refreshing
• Eases muscular pain and bruises
• Softens skin

Many individuals prefer to combine other herbal teas with green tea for additional benefits…

• Chamomile is relaxing and can help soothe pain.
• Lavender is calming and beneficial as a sleep enhancer.
• Jasmine can be refreshing for the skin and enhances the mood.
• Rose petals soften the skin and relax the body.
• Peppermint reduces inflammation and soothes irritated skin. When combined with Epsom salts, it makes for a very detoxifying bath.

And if you’re a fan of Epsom salts or essential oils, you can still use them with the herbs.

When taking a tub bath, it’s essential to acknowledge the potential dangers of water that is too hot. Very hot water can cause temporary dizziness and or muscle weakness — and it’s very drying and damaging for the skin.

Pregnant women should also use precautions and check with their doctors before taking a hot bath.

• Anti-angiogenic effects of epigallocatechin-3 gallate in human skin.
• Treatment of Atopic Dermatitis Associated with Malassezia sympodialis by Green Tea Extracts Bath Therapy: A Pilot Study.
• Green Tea Linked to Skin Cell Rejuvenation
• Anti-infective properties of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a component of green tea
• Green Tea Bath Benefits: Why on earth would anyone bathe in tea?

The post Exploring the benefits of green tea for your skin appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But not just any tea.

Recent research has shown that green and black tea can reduce blood pressure. Especially green tea.

Evidence that this soothing drink may improve brain function, help with fat burning and even protect against certain cancers has been around for a while now.

But more recent research has alerted us to the fact that it is actually good for our blood pressure readings.

Why green tea is better

Green and black tea come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. The difference is in what tea producers do to the leaves…

Black tea is processed in a way that triggers oxidation, which alters its chemical makeup. For green tea, the leaves are not broken down and so oxidation does not occur. This allows green tea to retain much of its content of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), the most powerful of a group of plant compounds called catechins.

EGCG is known to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, protecting the heart and brain, levels and promoting weight loss. And controlling our blood pressure.

Research on green tea and blood pressure

To explore the association between tea intake and blood pressure, Chinese research scientists analyzed 25 randomized controlled trials that had already been conducted.

They found that, in the short term, tea didn’t seem to make a difference in blood pressure. But longer-term tea intake made a significant difference…

After 12 weeks of drinking tea, systolic blood pressure readings (the top number) were lowered by an average of 2.6 mmHg, and diastolic numbers went down by 2.2mmHg. Green tea had more of an effect than black tea.

Now, those may seem like pretty small numbers. But keep in mind that even small improvements in blood pressure can have a significant impact on your health. The study authors note that reducing systolic blood pressure by 2.6 mmHg “would be expected to reduce stroke risk by 8 percent, coronary artery disease mortality by 5 percent and all-cause mortality by 4 percent at a population level.”

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More evidence that drinking green tea helps control blood pressure

Just last month, a group of researchers from the School of Medicine at Guilan University of Medical Sciences in Iran did a similar analysis of previous research, and their findings solidly back the Chinese findings.

They searched databases from February 1995 to July 20, 2019, to locate studies that were relevant, as well as relatively free of bias. Their search identified five clinical trials with a total of 408 subjects.

Based on measurements from these trials, regular tea intake was found to lower systolic blood pressure by an average of 4.81 mmHg, and diastolic by 1.98 mmHg.

And as in the Chinese study, the effects of green tea were more pronounced than those of black tea.

Other reasons to drink green tea

Before we finish, let’s just review the many reasons that green tea should be a drink you enjoy regularly…

• The catechins in green tea protect men from prostate cancer, and have been shown to reduce levels of prostate-specific antigen (an indicator of the disease) in men who have already been diagnosed.
• At least three cups daily could help prevent ischemic stroke.
• Drinking green tea can help prevent cataract and glaucoma.
• The amino acid l-theanine boosts levels of the brain chemical GABA, which promotes relaxation and sleep.

Sources:

1. The effects of regular consumption of green or black tea beverage on blood pressure in those with elevated blood pressure or hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis — Science Direct
2. This Kind of Tea Lowers Blood Pressure Naturally — Time.com
3. Effects of tea intake on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials — British Journal of Nutrition

The post The ‘low-down’ on what green tea does to high blood pressure appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

With far less caffeine than a cup of coffee, a cup of green tea is chock full of antioxidants known as catechins, which have been reported to lower your risk of diabetes and cancer.

With obesity in our country reaching epidemic proportions, more attention is turning to green tea as an aid in fat burning and weight loss.

Research into how green tea can help you lose weight has been ongoing throughout the past decade. Most recently, an international group of eight researchers performed a meta-analysis into past research on green tea as a weight-loss aid for obese patients.

The results of this analysis suggested that “the use of green tea can be combined with a balanced and healthy diet and regular physical exercise in the management of obese patients.”

But that’s just the beginning…

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How does green tea encourage weight loss?

Let us count the ways:

1. Caffeine. The stimulant effect of caffeine has been shown to aid in fat burning. Although a cup of green tea has just 20-40mg of caffeine, as compared with coffee’s 100-200mg, the effect is still present.
2. Antioxidants. Green tea is loaded with catechins, a potent antioxidant. The most important of these is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a substance that can boost metabolism.
3. Fat burning during exercise. A number of studies show that taking green tea extract can boost fat burning and that this effect is even stronger during exercise. In one study, men who took green tea extract before exercise burned 17 percent more fat than men who didn’t take the supplement.
4. Boosts metabolic rate. Several studies suggest that taking green tea extract or EGCG supplements can make your body burn more calories, even while you are at rest.

Other health benefits of green tea

As I mentioned, weight loss was the tip of the iceberg when it comes to green tea. It’s been studied for decades for health benefits, including these:

• Good for brain function. Green tea contains the amino acid L-theanine, known for its ability to lower cortisol levels and boost the brain chemical GABA, which promotes relaxation and sleep.
• Protects against cancer. Studies and research reviews have shown that drinking green tea could lower the risk of breast, prostate and colorectal cancers.
• Protects the aging brain. Studies have also revealed the possible neuroprotective effects of green tea in preventing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

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The healthiest kind of green tea

There’s one type of green tea that stands out in terms of helping you to lose actual body fat. And this has greater health implications than just a lower number on the scale.

Matcha green tea comes from the same plant as green tea. But there’s one important difference.

Matcha tea is made from the entire leaf. It’s basically stone-ground green tea.

Because of this, it offers a higher concentration of antioxidants and other beneficial plant compounds. In fact, a cup of matcha green tea is about equal to 10 cups of regular green tea in terms of antioxidant power.

It’s extra-powerful at reducing that dreaded belly fat, the visceral fat that is associated with inflammation and insulin resistance, both of which are strongly linked to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Here’s how you make a good cup of matcha tea. Enjoy!

Sources:

• Green tea may help with weight loss efforts — Wiley
• How Green Tea Can Help You Lose Weight — Healthline
• The effect of green tea supplementation on obesity: A systematic review and dose–response meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials — Wiley Online Library
• Green Tea Catechin Consumption Enhances Exercise-Induced Abdominal Fat Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults — Green Tea Catechin Consumption Enhances Exercise-Induced Abdominal Fat Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults

The post Drink away weight and disease risk with green tea appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

This is bad news since your liver is arguably the hardest-working organ in your body. It performs numerous critical functions that keep your body healthy and free of toxins. It recycles red blood cells, regulates blood sugar levels and hormones, and stores vitamins and minerals.

That’s why the recent research I’m going to tell you about is so important, and why the researchers are already planning on pursuing further investigations.

It seems that a drink we already know to be an infection fighter and vision saver, and that offers protection from diabetes and cancer, can also dramatically reduce the detrimental effects of fatty liver disease.

And, if you exercise on top of that, the positive results are even more dramatic…

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Green tea extract slashes liver fat in half

A recent Penn State study with mice may point the way to strategies that we can use to fight fatty liver disease.

In the study, mice were fed a high-fat diet for 16 weeks. Some were fed green tea while others exercised. Both of these groups ended up with half as much fat in their livers as a control group.

But in the third group of mice, the treatments were combined. In these mice that both consumed green tea and exercised, researchers found only a quarter of the lipid deposits in their livers compared to the control group.

In addition, the researchers found that the bodies of mice that consumed green tea were actually handling food differently.

Researchers measured the protein and fat content of the mouse feces and found that those who consumed green tea extract and exercised had higher fecal lipid and protein levels.

In other words, they excreted more fat, rather than having it build up in their livers. The researchers attribute this to the antioxidants in green tea and their interaction with digestive enzymes.

The next step in this line of research will be to find out whether there’s some sort of synergy between green tea and exercise. In other words, are the two working together in some specific way to reduce liver fat, or is this effect is just a matter of one plus one equals two?

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How to keep your liver healthy

Because NAFLD usually doesn’t cause any symptoms, most people find out they have it when blood tests are done for some other reason, and a liver problem shows up. For example, if your liver looks unusual on an ultrasound, or if a liver enzyme test comes back as abnormal, NAFLD may be suspected, and further tests can be done.

In the meantime, there’s a lot you can do in terms of diet and lifestyle to keep your liver healthy. In addition to drinking green tea and making exercise a regular part of your day, follow these tips:

Limit high-carb foods. Dr. Scott Mumby suggests avoiding processed foods, white bread and anything packed with preservatives or refined sugars. A diet rich in carbohydrates overwhelms your liver as simple carbs are converted into sugars and fat.

Don’t overdo the alcohol. That’s not to say that the occasional after-dinner drink is a no-no. Just don’t make several drinks a night a habit. It can lead to the swelling and scarring of cirrhosis.

Watch the Tylenol. Acetaminophen can hurt your liver if you take too much. You may not realize how much you’re taking, either, since it’s not just in Tylenol pills but in cold medicines and pain formulas as well. Read your ingredient labels carefully.

Avoid industrial chemicals. Chemicals you may be exposed to on the job can cause liver injury. These include the dry cleaning solvent carbon tetrachloride, vinyl chloride, and the herbicide paraquat (also linked to Parkinson’s disease).

Drink coffee. If you happen to be a coffee drinker, not a tea drinker, there’s good news! Research shows that your drink of choice also protects the liver from disease.

Add resistant starch to your diet. It lowers liver enzymes and inflammatory factors associated with NAFLD.

Sources:

1. Green tea extract combined with exercise reduces fatty liver disease in mice — EurekAlert
2. How Not to Wreck Your Liver — WebMD
3. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: Diagnosis — Mayo Clinic

The post The drink that exercises fat from your liver appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It helps prevent cancer, lower cholesterol, balance blood sugar, prevent heart disease, boost your metabolism and prevent liver disease.

But just when you thought the health benefits of green tea couldn’t get any better…

It could possibly keep you safe from another gory and deadly health complication — one you may have never heard of even though more than three million people in the U.S. have it…

Abdominal aortic aneurysm

An abdominal aortic aneurysm occurs when the main blood vessel that delivers blood to your body becomes enlarged. It usually develops slowly. And the scary thing is… you may not experience any symptoms — although some people experience a pulsating feeling near their belly button, or pain in their back, belly or side.

But whether you have symptoms or not, an abdominal aortic aneurysm can cost you your life. If it ruptures, you’ll begin bleeding internally at a rapid pace. And your odds of survival aren’t good — 50 percent of people with an untreated abdominal aortic aneurysm die.

Older men and people who smoke are most at risk for developing this particular type of aneurysm. But it can affect anyone, and it’s very common.

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But if you’re an avid green tea drinker, you’re probably not one of those people… because Japanese researchers founds that the polyphenols in green tea can help prevent an abdominal aortic aneurysm from forming to begin with.

In their study, Kyoto University researchers treated rats with an enzyme designed to give them an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The researchers also gave polyphenols from green tea to some of these rats.

Amazingly enough, the rats who received green tea polyphenols were significantly less likely to develop an abdominal aortic aneurysm. These rats also had less inflammation and improved elastin production… which is a big deal since these two factors are essential to the development of an abdominal aortic aneurysm in the first place.

“Considering that abdominal arterial aneurysms are caused by inflammation and the degradation of elastin components in the arterial wall, we thought drinking green tea may show promise for treatment,” said the study’s lead author Shuji Setozaki.

So in case you haven’t gotten the message yet, you should start drinking green tea. It will help your health in countless ways… and may even save you from one of these deadly aneurysms. Even if you’re not at high risk for an aneurysm, at the very least, you’ll be supporting the health of every artery in your body. And that’s good for avoiding blood pressure problems.

To benefit, just drink two to three cups of green tea per day.

Sources:

1. “Green Tea.” The University of Maryland Medical Center. http://umm.edu. Retrieved August 23, 2016.

2. “Abdominal aortic aneurysm.” The Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.org. Retrieved August 23, 2016.

3. Shuji Setozaki, et al. “Prevention of abdominal aortic aneurysm progression by oral administration of green tea polyphenol in a rat model.” Journal of Vascular Surgery (2016).

The post One thing you can do to avoid a deadly aneurysm appeared first on Easy Health Options®.