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January 1, 2007 Update #1 |
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WILL GREEN TEA HELP PREVENT GASTRIC ULCER?
Background
Gastric ulcer is often associated with a specific spiral-shaped bacterium, Helicobacter
pylori (H. pylori). Inside the stomach this microorganism attacks the gastric lining often causing gastric
ulcer. But H. pylori's attack strategy depends on the release of the cytotoxin, VacA, which damages the
stomach lining. Theoretically, any agent that reduces H. pylori-related gastric wall damage will reduce
one's risk of gastric ulcer.
Featured Research Study
Red wine and green tea reduce H pylori- or
VacA-induced
gastritis in a mouse model.
World J Gastroenterol. 2007 Jan 21;13(3):349-54. Ruggiero P, et.al.
Click Here for PubMed Abstract of Study
Study Highlights
Green tea, along with red wine, helps restrict H. pylori growth in the stomachs of
mice. Also, green tea, separate from red wine, reduces VacA activity in ways that result in less
damage to the gastric epithelium. The study concludes that dietary factors such as green tea and
red wine may affect the pathological outcome of H. pylori gastric infections.
Comments
As much as I love both red wine and green tea I really don't know how applicable
this study is to gastric ulcers in the human body. Nevertheless, the results of this study are
encouraging. We will need similar studies in humans before we know how effective green tea is in
preventing human ulcer.
Ask your tea professional to guide you toward enjoyable tea options.
Ask your health professional to guide you toward viable health options.
Dr. Paul's Tea & Health Update, WWW.DRPAULSUPDATES.ORG, supports tea and health educational programs by bringing recent research studies into public awareness.
Copyright © 2007 Dr. Paul's School of Tea and Health, LLC. All rights reserved.
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