Green Tea Component Offers hope for Liver Health
By Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS, January 3, 2012, abstracted from “The Green Tea Polyphenol, Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate, Inhibits Hepatitis C Virus Entry” in Hepatology, 2011; 54(6): 1947-1955
Of the 65 billion servings of tea consumed by Americans in 2010, an estimated19.5% was Green Tea (1). Health benefits of green tea are significant. At least one cup per day is beneficial for gum health (2) and periodontal disease, which results in $100 billion in dental costs each year (3). At least two cups per day helps reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease (which costs our healthcare system $450 billion per year (4)) by 23% (5).
Perhaps the best studied component of green tea is EGCG. Research in mice has suggested 200 mg EGCG per day may affect immune system health (6) while EGCG may also help with mental health (7). Now a new study (8) suggests EGCG may help with liver health by protecting against an infection called Hepatitis C. This is a contagious liver disease affecting 3.2 million Americans that ranges in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness that attacks the liver (9).
In the lab study, researchers studied the effects of different green tea antioxidants (EGCG, EGC, EC, and ECG) on the ability of the Hepatitis C virus to both enter a cell (causing infection) and to pass the infection on to a neighboring cell. What they found was that only EGCG was able to prevent both the infection and spread of Hepatitis C. Specifically, doses of EGCG starting at 2.5 micrograms/milliliter (equal to taking about 125 mg of EGCG in a 154-pound human*) showed signs of infection prevention while 10 micrograms/mL “strongly inhibited” infection.
When it came to a hepatitis-infected cells passing on the virus to a neighboring cell, the researchers noted “not a single…event” of infection occurred at doses of 3 micrograms/mL.
The significance of these results showing EGCG to prevent the entry of Hepatitis C into cells is that “Hepatitis C virus entry is essential for initiation, spread, and maintenance of virus infection and represents an interesting target for antiviral therapy.” For the researchers, “The green tea molecule, EGCG, potently inhibits Hepatitis C Virus entry and could be part of an antiviral strategy.”
*The number 125 mg is a rough estimate assuming that about 10% of the ingested EGCG would be in the blood for several hours after taking it. The percent absorbed and eliminated will vary by individual. This is about the amount of catechins in 5 cups of green tea.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com
Reference:
2. Kushiyama M. Relationship Between Intake of Green Tea and Periodontal Disease. Jou Periodontol 2009; 80 (3):372-377
5. Kuriyama S. Green tea consumption and mortality due to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all causes in Japan: the Ohsaki study. JAMA. 2006 Sep 13;296(10):1255-65.
6. Wu D. Green tea EGCG suppresses T cell proliferation through impairment of IL-2/IL-2 receptor signaling. Free Rad Biol Med 2009; 47(5):636-643
7. Tan J. Green Tea Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG) Modulates Amyloid Precursor Protein Cleavage and Reduces Cerebral Amyloidosis in Alzheimer Transgenic Mice J. Neurosci. 2005 25: 8807-8814
8. S. The Green Tea Polyphenol, Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate, Inhibits Hepatitis C Virus Entry. Hepatology 2011; 54(6): 1947-1955
“Hepatitis C FAQs” - http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/C/cFAQ.htm#cFAQ04
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