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August 15, 2008 |
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The August, 2008 issue of the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the discovery of researchers in Japan that supplementing the diet with green tea extract improves fasting hemoglobin A1c, a blood marker that is regularly tested in diabetics to assess long term glucose control. While fasting glucose provides an immediate measurement of blood glucose levels, hemoglobin A1c assesses glycation, a process that occurs when blood sugar molecules bind with proteins such as hemoglobin. The excessive glycation that occurs in people with consistently elevated blood sugar results in damaged tissues, which contributes to the apparent accelerated aging observed in diabetic patients. High hemoglobin A1c levels indicate elevated average glucose levels over the three month period prior to testing.
For the current crossover study, researchers at the University of Shizuoka, Osaka University, and Hamamatsu University School of Medicine in Japan enrolled 49 men and 11 women with prediabetes. An early intervention group consisting of 29 participants received a daily green tea extract powder containing 544 milligrams polyphenols (providing 456 milligrams catechins) for two months, followed by two months during which no supplement was received. The participants in the later intervention group received no supplement for the first two months, followed by two months of daily green tea supplementation. Fasting hemoglobin A1c levels were measured at the beginning of the study and at two and four months.
For both groups, fasting hemoglobin A1c levels were found to be significantly reduced from baseline levels following green tea supplementation. Hemoglobin A1c levels declined from 6.2 to 5.9 percent in the early intervention group, and from 6.1 to 5.9 percent in the later intervention group. (Hemoglobin A1c levels in healthy individuals range from 4 to 5.9 percent.) For those in the early intervention group, this reduction remained following the final two months of the study during which no green tea supplement was received. A decrease in diastolic blood pressure was also associated with green tea supplementation, however, its significance was considered borderline.
In their discussion of the findings, the authors cite previous research in which catechins were found to suppress glucose absorption in the small intestine. Insulin-like activities have been attributed to green tea, as well as inhibition of gluconeogenic enzymes. In their introduction to the report, they observe that green tea polyphenols have been associated with anticancer effects, antioxidative activity, antibacterial effects and antioxidative activity against low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, as well as a reduction in cholesterol, body weight and fat, and blood glucose. The current findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge concerning the benefits associated with green tea, and may be of particular interest to diabetic patients or those at risk of the disease. |
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Too often, people fall victim to a disease that could have been prevented if their blood had been tested once a year.
For instance, we know that prescription drugs can cause liver and kidney problems, but other factors (alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, excess niacin, hepatitis C) can make a person susceptible to liver or kidney damage. These conditions often smolder for years until a life-threatening medical crisis occurs. Because of a phenomenon known as “individual variability,” some people are especially vulnerable to liver and kidney damage. The good news is that a simple blood chemistry test can detect an underlying problem in time to take corrective actions.
The reason most people consider blood testing is to ascertain their risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Published studies consistently show that various cholesterol fractions (HDL, LDL) and triglycerides can contribute to heart attack and stroke. What most people fail to realize is that significant changes can occur in their blood fat levels over the course of a single year, meaning that an earlier test may not accurately reflect their current serum-lipid status.
Since 1983 the Life Extension Foundation has advocated regular medical testing for the purpose of optimizing your personal life extension program. |
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| To measure the antioxidant strengths of food and other substances, scientists use what is called the ORAC score. A higher score means the food is better at protecting the body's cells from free radical-induced damage. So, the higher a food's ORAC score, as in dark-skinned fruits and vegetables, the better it is for you. However, problems with availability, the perishable nature, and the cost of obtaining a wide variety of high-ORAC fruits and vegetables on a daily basis mean they are often difficult to get in the typical American diet.
To overcome these issues, Life Extension has developed new Berry Complete formula to provide a concentrated blend of fruit and vegetable extracts that have some of the highest ORAC scores around. | | |
You: Staying Young, by Michael Roizen, MD and Mehmet Oz, MD
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| The body is the most fascinating machine ever created, and nobody talks about it in ways that are as illuminating and compelling as Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz. Most people think of the aging of our bodies the same way we think of the aging of our cars: the older we get, the more inevitable it is that we're going to break down. Most of us believe that at age 40 or so, we begin the slow and steady decline of our minds, our eyes, our ears, our joints, our arteries, our libido, and every other system that affects the quality of life (and how long we live it). But according to Dr. Roizen and Dr. Oz, that's a mistake. | | | |
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