Reduce Lung Damage from Smoking with Green Tea | ||
According to a new study published in Respiratory Medicine, green tea extract may help to offset some of the damaging effects seen in the lungs of a smoker after exposure to cigarette smoke.
Green Tea and Lung Damage From Smoking:
The Study Green tea is a type of tea made solely with the leaves of Camellia sinensis that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. As you may know Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures in Asia from Japan to the Middle East. Find out why you may want to sip green tea if you’ve ever smoked cigarettes. |
Why would green tea extract reduce lung damage from smoking cigarettes? | |
Researchers believe that the polyphenols, particularly EGCG, found in green teamay help to offset oxidative damage seen in the lungs of a smoker.
Cigarette smoke contains multiple compounds that can damage healthy lung tissue not to mention many of these compounds are known cancer causing agents. Because EGCG and the other polyphenols in green tea function are antioxidants, they may help to reduce lung damage from smoking.
Can drinking green tea reduce lung damage from smoking?
Researchers exposed one group of rats to both cigarette smoke and green tea extract and another group to cigarette smoke only. Over the last few decades green tea has been subjected to many scientific and medical studies to determine the extent of its long-purported health benefits, with some evidence suggesting regular green tea drinkers may have lower chances of heart disease and developing certain types of cancer. Green tea has also been claimed as useful for weight loss management a claim with no scientific support according to medical databases such as PubMed. It is best to consult a licensed physician before trying any alternative medicines
Of course, this doesn't mean that green tea negates all of the negative effects of smoking. For one thing, this study was done in rats and it’s unclear whether green tea has any effect on the lungs of a human smoker.
Secondly, just because green tea extract reduces lung damage from a tissue standpoint, it doesn't necessarily mean that it reduces the risk of lung disease or cancer. Image: http://pixabay.com/en/cigarettes-ash-tilt-smoking-83571/ |
Lung Disease Alternative Medicine | |
When it comes to reducing lung damage from smoking, black tea may also have some effect. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition showed that black tea prevented oxidative lung damage in guinea pigs exposed to cigarette smoke.
Black tea has lower levels of polyphenols than green tea, so it would seem that green tea would be of greater overall benefit. Other nutrients that have been associated with a lower risk of lung cancer are lycopenes found in processed tomatoes and lutein found in green vegetables such as leafy greens and broccoli.
How Green Tea Compares in this study
Two control groups were exposed to air and green tea extract for a period of fifty-six days. A new study shows that green tea may offset some of the damage seen in the lungs of a smoker.
The results? The rats exposed to cigarette smoke and green tea extract didn’t develop the type of lung damage that usually occurs with exposure to cigarette smoke. The rats only exposed to cigarette smoke clearly showed lung damage typical of a smoker’s lung.
Recently, it has become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally consumed. Many varieties of green tea have been created in countries where it is grown.
These varieties can differ substantially due to variable growing conditions, processing and harvesting time.The rats given green tea also showed fewer markers of oxidative stress than did the mice exposed to cigarette smoke and no green tea extract. |
Lung Disease Alternative Medicine | |
Ex-smokers often have microscopic lung damage from smoking that persist even after they quit. Apparently lung cancer risk significantly drops once a person has been smoke-free for ten years.
Getting natural antioxidants from green tea, fruits, and vegetables could help to protect lungs from further damage due to exposure to secondary cigarette smoke and pollutants in the environment. The first priority should be to quit smoking, but even after you do, consider adding green tea to your diet.
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Match |
