New research suggests that a substance found in green tea could help reduce the risk of heart attacks. A recent study found that a molecule in the tea called epigallocatechin gallate (or EGCG for short) has the ability to bind to protein found in plaques that are linked to coronary artery disease. And in certain cases it can even make it more soluble.
While experts are excited over the potential power of EGCG in fighting heart disease, they’re not sure if drinking copious amounts of everyone’s favorite bedtime beverage is the most effective way to go. It’s more likely they’ll work on developing a way for the molecule to target blood vessels with plaque deposits instead.
Professor David Middleton, a co-author of the study from the University of Lancaster, had this to say in an interview with The Guardian, “If you drink normal quantities of green tea it will probably be unlikely to have an effect. What we are saying is that we need to look at this molecule more carefully and figure out ways we can either adapt it to make it more [available to the body when taken] or ways of delivering it to the plaques.”
Even if gulping down pots of tea won’t have a direct impact on your heart health, there are still a ton of nutritional benefits to reap from the stuff. Matcha, a super concentrated green tea powder, in particular, is rich in L-Theanine, an amino acid that tempers its caffeine content and promotes calmness, as well as higher levels of concentration and focus. It’s also high in antioxidants, boasting a polyphenol count that’s supposedly 60 times higher than spinach.
Clearly there’s a lot to love about green tea, and it will be interesting to see what other scientific discoveries emerge in the future. (Like, it’s hard to imagine that it can get even healthier!) We’ll just have to wait to find out.
from Food News – Chowhound https://ift.tt/2LQAeeB
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