Saturday, January 3, 2009

What in the World is an Antioxidant?

Okay, so by now you’ve undoubtedly heard about green tea’s wonderful antioxidant abilities, and how this particular quality helps it fight dangerous diseases like cancer and heart disease. But what is an antioxidant, anyway? And why would anything that’s anti-oxygen be good for you? Despite their name, antioxidants don’t work against oxygen. They work against a chemical reaction called oxidation, the same process that turns bananas black, rusts metal and makes oil rancid. Oxidation is the interaction between oxygen molecules and the substances they come in contact with. When that substance happens to be living tissue, damage and disease can occur. Oxidative damage, the harm caused by oxidation, is primarily caused by free radicals, highly reactive, unstable molecules that travel around the body wreaking havoc. Although free radicals can be generated by exposure to UV rays, toxins, cigarette smoke, microbes and other sources, the most common source is the oxygen molecule itself.


Oxygen typically travels throughout the body in pairs, and these two molecules share electrons. But sometimes this double molecule splits into two separate oxygen molecules called singlet oxygen. When this happens, there are no longer enough electrons to go around, so each oxygen molecule ends up one electron short. This destabilizes the molecule, in a sense throwing it off balance. In order too stabilize itself, it races off throughout the body in search of another electron.
But singlet oxygen doesn’t just wait for a spare electron to float on by. Instead, it boldly steals one from some other molecule. This destabilizes the "new" molecule which, in turn, careens off to steal an electron from yet another molecule. The process ofserial "electron stealing" damages cells, tissues, organs and even entire body systems, and is believed to be a major cause of cancer, heart disease, aging and many other conditions.
Antioxidants work against "electron stealing" by neutralizing and stabilizing free radicals. They do this by donating an electron so that singlet oxygen and other free radicals no longer have the urge to "steal." And while the body does produce a certain amount of antioxidants for the express purpose of taking care of such problems, it also needs the added help of antioxidants found in foods. Among others, these include beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, the mineral selenium, and various phytochemicals such as lycopene and quercetin. But the catechins, especially EGCg, are among the most powerful and effective antioxidants of all.


Real-Tea Check

Everyone knows that tea contains the antioxidant EGCG. But don't think you're getting those antioxidants from ready-to-drink bottles of tea that you find at the convenience store or grocery store. Oregon State University researches have found that freshly brewed green or black teas contain 10 to 100 times MORE antioxidants than bottled teas. According to an analyses by the US department of Agriculture, an eight ounce cup of bottled green te contains 9mg of the antioxidant EGCG while the same size cup of green tea contains 196mg.

How many more milligrams of antioxidants does Salada Green tea have when compared to other foods known for their antioxidant properties?
Antiox Values for Salada Products:
Salada Black Tea 150 mg
Salada Black Decaf 85mg
Salada Green Tea 195mg
Salada Green Decaf 110mg
Salada White Tea 195mg
Salada White Tea Decaf 126mg
Salada White Tea Plum 165mg
New Study shows citrus juice helps make tea even healthier for you.

The study finds specifically that citrus juices enable more of green tea's unique antioxidants to remain after simulated digestion, making the pairing even healther than previously thought. The study compared the effect of various beverage additives on catechins, which are the antioxidants naturally found in tea. The results suggest that citrus juices or vitamin C, when added to green tea likely increases the amount of catechins available for the body to absorb. November 2007. ...More info



White Tea & Green Tea Appear To Be Effective Antioxidants
The flavonoid's in tea, especially the catechins, appear to be very effective antioxidants and help neutralize free radicals that can lead to cancer. A study at the University of Kansas concluded that the catechin EGCG was more than 100 times as effective as vitamin C at neutralizing free radicals. Several population studies show that people who drink tea have reduced risks of some types of cancer. Generally, people had to drink at least five cups a day to reap the benefit, but more research is needed in this area. Tea also appears to be particularly effective at reducing the damage caused by cigarette smokers. There is also evidence that green tea may inhibit tumor growth. According to the Tea Association of the USA, some preliminary studies find a correlation of tea consumption and the risk of certain types of cancer, including breast, lung and skin cancers and cancer of the mouth. Jeffrey Blumberg, Ph. D., F.A.C.N, Chief of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University said that “Recent research studies reveal the antioxidants in tea may inhibit the growth of cancer cells and support cardiovascular health."

White Tea

It has been found that in past studies using bacteria, white teas were more effective than green tea in inhibiting mutagenicity, ("a result of unrepaired/misrepaired DNA damage and an early step in the process leading to cancer"). White teas contained many of the expected polyphenols, some even found in higher concentrations in white tea than in green tea brewed under the same conditions. Caffeine was also present in higher levels in white tea than in green tea. Source: The Linus Pauling Institute - Oregon State University, March 2003.

Green Tea

Continuing research on the beneficial properties of green tea to human health has produced several new findings. Most notable is a study by Japanese scientists of the Saitama Cancer Research Institute relating the delay of cancer onset with the consumption of green tea. The study shows that early stage breast cancer spreads less rapidly in women with a history of drinking five or more cups of green tea a day. As a result, there is a lower recurrence rate and a longer disease-free period. With the evidence that green tea and EGCG, a catechin found only in green tea, are a natural and readily available inhibitor of TNF-, a gene expression which promotes the growth in cancer cells and in their surrounding tissue, it is possible for researchers to extend this idea to other various human diseases. Since EGCG has also been proven to kill cultured cancer cells without causing harm to surrounding healthy cells, green tea could be beneficial not only for cancer prevention but also in the therapy and prevention of other diseases.

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