Green Tea Can Combat Parkinsons

Green Tea Can Combat Parkinsons

Recent studies have fond that Green Tea can combat Parkinsons; this is because certain compounds in green tea protects brain cells that cold be otherwise affected by the disease.  These compounds, Polyphenols,  are antioxidant compounds in green tea which have been credited with protecting against cancer, heart disease and other health problems. Researchers at Baylor College in Houston, USA, reveal that green tea polyphenols may also protect the brain from Parkinson’s disease.

In Parkinson’s disease, there’s a loss of neurons that produce the brain chemical dopamine, leading to defects in movement such as tremors and rigidity. Previous experiments in animals show that polyphenols might protect from Parkinson’s – and the new study takes this one step further. The researchers show that polyphenols block the uptake of toxins that can hit the dopamine neurons. The effects of green tea have not yet been tried in humans, but this looks like a promising approach to Parkinson’s disease.

In the United States, 50,000-60,000 new cases of PD are diagnosed each year, adding to the one million people who currently have PD. The Center for Disease control rated complications from Parkinson’s disease as the 14th leading cause of death in the United States. Worldwide, it is estimated that four to six million people suffer from the condition. This discovery with Green Tea is a great stride forward for Parkinson’s research and ultimately what the power of tea can unlock. It’s definitely another reason to keep drinking the green stuff.