Recent work in Switzerland has confirmed the benefits of green tea. However, the study reveals that it is not an antioxidant. Its operation would indeed be more like that of a vaccine.
Did you know that green tea is the second most consumed beverage after plain water? This is no coincidence since many health benefits are associated with it. In 2017, a Chinese study, for example, showed that regular consumption of green tea could halve the risk of cognitive decline. In general, this drink is considered to contain significant amounts of ECG and EGCG catechins , biologically active molecules with beneficial effects on health.
And yet, as explained in a study published in the journal Aging on October 4, 2021, contrary to what science thought until today, ECGs and EGCGs are not antioxidants, i.e. components that reduce or prevent oxidative stress in the body through the neutralization of reactive oxygen species . In order to verify what has ultimately always been a simple theory, a team from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (Switzerland) has indeed studied the effects of ECG and EGCG catechins on the species of nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans.
In their conclusion, the researchers instead refer to the term "pro-oxidants" to describe catechins. However, these molecules would improve the body's defense capacities in a way quite similar to that of a vaccine . However, this improvement would not be at the level of the immune system itself. This is because it actually activates genes responsible for producing certain enzymes. Examples are superoxide dismutase or catalase. According to scientists, these enzymes are "endogenous antioxidants" capable of inactivating reactive oxygen species .
The researchers say their findings naturally apply to humans. Indeed, the same biochemical processes neutralization of the oxidative system have persisted throughout our evolution. Nevertheless, scientists strongly advise against green tea extracts or concentrates. According to them, these products can be toxic, because in case of overdose, catechins can cause cell death . In addition, certain organs such as the liver can also suffer the consequences. Finally, you should know that green teas grown in Japan contain the most catechins while black tea contains the least.
