Green Tea for Rheumatoid Arthritis?

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Green Tea for Rheumatoid Arthritis?

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Green tea has become a favorite drink of millions of people because
aside from being a great antioxidant, it is believed to prevent and
ease a number of illness.

The “miracle herb” is believed beneficial to people with
cardiovascular and cancer. And latest studies showed it may also help
ease the inflammation and pain of rheumatoid arthritis.

Although it is still too early to conclude, the researchers
were able to establish the effect of green tea on rheumatoid arthritis.
Lead researcher Salah-uddin Ahmed, an investigator at the University of
Michigan Health System stressed that findings of the study, which was
conducted in laboratory, are still preliminary.


The new research by Ahmed is one of the first to focus on rheumatoid
arthritis and green tea and may be music to the ears of more than 2.1
million Americans suffering from the illness.


In the study, Ahmed added, cells called synovial fibroblasts were
isolated from the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These
cells form a lining of tissue surrounding the capsule of the joints.


In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, this lining is inflamed, leading to long-term joint damage and chronic pain.



The research


The team next cultured these cells
and exposed them to epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the active
ingredient in green tea. The cells were then stimulated with cytokine
interleukin-1 beta or IL-1B, a protein of the immune system known to
play a role in causing joint degradation in rheumatoid arthritis.

The researchers focused on whether EGCG had the ability to
block the activity of two potent molecules, IL-6 and cyclooxygenase-2
(Cox-2), which also play a role in breaking down bone in an RA joint.


After the experiment, the team found that the two molecules were
suppressed by the EGCG. But while the researchers stressed it is
difficult to quantify exactly the effect of the suppression, the EGCG
blocked them significantly.


EGCG also blocked the production of prostaglandin E2, another compound that can cause joint inflammation.



Non-conclusive


Even if the results of the study
are not conclusive, the researchers said people might want to try
drinking three or four 8-ounce cups of green tea per day. Drinking
green tea continuously throughout the day keeps blood level more
constant.


On the other hand, drinking green tea certainly wouldn't hurt, since it
is known to have many health benefits and no known side effects.


But when rheumatoid arthritis triggers, the first aid is to take a pain
reliever, Soma, available online at drugstoretm.com or neighborhood
pharmacy. Soma has been a long trusted pain reliever for muscle and
joint pains and highly recommended by medical experts.

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