Health Benefits of Green Tea to Reduce Cholesterol, Heart Attack and Stroke - Research Paper Example

? Health Benefits of Green Tea to Reduce Cholesterol, Heart Attack and Stroke The main component of green tea is Catechin, which has various diverse physiological effects. One among them is its ability to reduce cholesterol, which is a major component of fats in the body. A few studies have indicated that catechins have the ability to reduce body fat in humans. A research study was formulated to investigate the effect of catechins on body fat reduction and thus cholesterol in relation to oxidized Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (Nagao et al, 2005). The reasoning behind this approach was because fat levels are directly proportional to the levels of cholesterol in the body. This research aims at identifying and describing the health benefit of green tea to reduce cholesterol, heart attack and stroke. Introduction Studies have indicated that there is a relationship between tea consumption and incidence of cardiovascular disease. Catechins form a large component of green tea extracts, and they belong to a group of compounds called flavonoids, and are considered to be responsible for these mitigatory effects on heart disease. A research study was formulated, with the aim, to evaluate the effect of taking elevated levels of catechin from green tea extract on the heart using data from Zutphen Elderly Study (Arts et al, 2001). According to Arts et al, the Zutphen study was conducted on 806 elderly men aged between 64 to 85 years (Arts et al, 2001). Stroke is a leading attribute to increased mortality and morbidity in many nations worldwide. There has been an emerging trend in the belief that green tea contains some components that pose the potential of preventing some diseases including stroke. Literature Review A research was formulated to evaluate the contributions of green and black tea extracts to the risk of stroke in humans. This research was based on observations made on experimental models of stroke that illustrated smaller incidences of stroke in animals ingesting tea extracts or components (Arab, Liu & Elashoff, 2009). This research sought to establish if green or black tea extracts had the same association with reduced risks of stroke in humans. Professional databases like Web of Science and PubMed were searched for all relevant studies on tea consumption and stroke in humans. A measured estimation was made on tea consumption and outcomes of non-fatal or fatal stroke. The search in the databases yielded data from 9 studies involving 4,378 strokes in 194, 965 individual with the main outcome being the occurrence of non-fatal or fatal stroke (Arab, Liu & Elashoff, 2009). According to Arab, Liu & Elshoff, a test for heterogeneity was done by calculating the summary effect estimate of tea consumption (Arab, Liu & Elashoff, 2009). The estimate was based on an established baseline of ?3 cups of daily tea intake by using fixed effects and random effects for homogeneous studies. This research study was trying to establish a premise by using data obtained from secondary sources necessitating the evaluation of publication bias. This research focused on men and the research team selected a group of healthy Japanese men who had the same Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. The research involved 35 respondents who were separated into two groups, one serving as the experimental group and the other as the control group (Nagao et al, 2005). The participants were taken through a two-week diet run, and then they were subjected to a twelve week double blind study (Nagao et al, 2005). In the study, the experimental group of 17 men was given one bottle of Oolong tea containing 690 milligrams of catechins. The control group of 18 men was given one bottle of Oolong tea containing 22 milligrams of catechins (Nagao et al. 2005). This was intended to determine if the amount of catechins, which a person consumed, had any impact on cholesterol levels in the body, which in this case, was determined by the amount of body fat present, in the body (Nagao et al. 2005). After the designated period, of study lapsed, all the participants in the research study were measured for their body weight, BMI, waist circumference, body fat mass and content. The results garnered indicated that there were significant reductions in all the measured variables, in individuals who ingested higher doses of catechins from green tea extract. These changes were attributed to reduced concentrations of malondialdehyde-modified LDL. The methodology was sufficient for the intended scope of the study. The methodology, however, did not give information pertaining to the ages of the participants, which could have helped widen the scope of the study. This is because if the age of the participants were over a narrow range, it would mean that the results and conclusions of the research could only be attested to that age bracket. If the study incorporated participants with a wide age gap of more than ten years, the implications of the research study can be applied over a wide spectrum of individuals. The mean was calculated from the data obtained in the Zutphen study for the intake baseline of 72 was found to be 47.8 milligrams per day. The source of these catechins was mainly from green and black tea, apples and chocolate. During the course of the study, 90 deaths were recorded due to ischemic heart disease. This study established that there was an inverse association between catechin intake and mortality caused by ischemic heart disease (Arts et al, 2001). This was done through a multi-adjusted risk ratio in the highest tertile of intake at 0.49 calculated from 95% confidence interval (CI): o.27, 0.88; P for trend: o.o17 (Arts et al, 2001). The multivariate adjustment established that catechin intake was associated with incidences of myocardial infarction. The risk ratio was calculated after analyzing the highest tertile for intake: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.39, 1.26; P for trend: 0.232 (Arts et al, 2001). Adjustment for tea consumption revealed that even other sources of catechin other than tea had an association with a 20% decrease for the tendency of ischemic heart disease mortality risk (Arts et al, 2001). A separate comparison, on the extent of effect between catechins from black tea and green tea, established that catechins, from green tea, have a stronger mitigatory effect than those from black tea. The results of this research study were able to establish the effect of catechins from green tea and other sources on the heart in relation to its diseases and disorders. This research was based on data collected from another study, which exposes the findings garnered to a degree of uncertainty. This is because the researchers had no way of establishing the accuracy of data, like it would have been, in a scenario where there are participants for the experiment and control group. The use of already established data from prior research enabled the research team save resources consumed when research studies are conducted (Arts et al, 2001). The research was good because it explained the relationship that exists between catechins from green tea and other sources, and ischemic heart disease. The results garnered from this research study established that there was a 21% reduced risk of stroke in individuals. The reduced risk was in people who consumed ?3 cups than those that consumed less than one cup of tea daily. These results were regardless of the country of origin for the individuals indicated in the data got from the databases. The absolute risk reduction was at 0.79; CI, 0.73 to 0.85 and heterogeneity not explained by chance was 23.8% (Arab, Liu & Elashoff, 2009). This research was a meta-analysis, which sufficiently established that there was an association of daily consumption ? 3 cups of tea to reduced incidences and prevention of stroke. The research also brought to fore the need to conduct a clinical trial to confirm the effects of green tea and its extracts on reduction and prevention of stroke. The use of data representing cases of individuals from all over the world helped reaffirm the potential of green tea consumption in preventing and reducing stroke (, Liu & Elashoff, 2009). The worldwide data survey obtained enabled the research team to eliminate biases that are occasioned by differences in people due to age, race and environment. This research study was good because it was able to achieve its set out purpose and objective. Implication Green tea contains substances, especially catechins that are said to have medicinal and health benefits to both humans and animals. Tea is a cheap beverage that is the most consumed drink after water by the world’s population (Crespy & Williamson, 2004). This means that if drinking of tea was further emphasized because of its benefits, it would have far reaching impact on people’s health than any other substance. Tea is taken as either black tea, which is currently the most widely consumed, or green tea which emerging research has indicated to possess more therapeutic properties than black tea. Green tea contains catechins that have higher positive effects on reduction of cholesterol, stroke and heart attack (Schneider, Craig & Tiffany, 2009). Research was conducted to establish if green tea extracts of catechin have the effect of lowering cholesterol levels in the body. The results from the research indicated that there was an association between reduced body fat and increased intake of green tea extracts. A reduction in body fats directly translates to a decline in cholesterol levels in people (Cooper et al, 2005). This is because these fats contain LDLs that are precursors to the synthesis of cholesterol in the body. Substances found in tea act as anti-oxidants that protect the body tissues and cells from damage by free radicals (Cabrera et al, 2006). According to Cabrera et al, green tea has catechin polyphenols called epigallocatechin (EGCG) which is an extremely powerful ant-oxidant that is known to lower LDL cholesterol levels in the body (Wolfram, 2007). High cholesterol levels are attributed to increased risks of incidences of heart attack due to a myriad number of factors like heart ischemia, myocardial infarction and atherosclerosis (Marin, 2011). High cholesterol in the body promotes the formation of blood clots in arteries and veins and thickening of blood, which elevates the heart rate. The ability of green tea and its extracts to reduce and lower body cholesterol levels directly impacts on the health of the heart. Catechins inhibit the formation of blood clots. Blood clots are the chief causes of heart attacks, which makes catechins from green tea important in the prevention of heart attacks (Muirhead, 2008). A research was conducted to evaluate the effects of catechins on incidences of death from heart diseases. The results illustrated that there was a reduced risk of death, from heart disease, like cardiac ischemia in individuals who had a history of taking a lot of tea. This research was able to show that green tea mitigated the adverse effects heart diseases like death. The research also shed light on the effectiveness of catechins from different sources apart from green tea. The study showed that catechins from other sources apart from green tea had the ability to reduce the risks associated with heart diseases, but green tea had the strongest impact. Conclusion Stroke is a condition that is caused by rapture of blood capillaries in the brain, and the damage caused by this event is mostly manifested as stroke. Stroke can lead to partial or complete paralysis, heart failure and death. A research was formulated to investigate the effect of green tea extracts on reduction and prevention of stroke. The study was able to illustrate that there was a 21% reduction, in risk and incidence of stroke, in individuals who took ? 3 cups of green tea per day. The established benefits of green tea and its extracts can be used, in the field of nutrition therapy, to help patients reduce the risks related with high cholesterol levels, heart attack and stroke. Green tea presents nutritionists with a cheap and convenient product that can be used, in combination with other health advancing substances, to improve the health of their clients (Muirhead, 2008). The research has helped strengthen the proposed positive implications of green tea on health in reduction and prevention of harmful diseases and substances. References Arab, L., Liu, W., & Elashoff, D. (2009). Green and Black Tea Consumption and Risk of Stroke A Meta-Analysis. Stroke, 40(5), 1786-1792. Arts, I. C., Hollman, P. C., Feskens, E. J., De Mesquita, H. B. B., & Kromhout, D. (2001). Catechin intake might explain the inverse relation between tea consumption and ischemic heart disease: the Zutphen Elderly Study. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 74(2), 227-232. Cabrera, C., Artacho, R., & Gimenez, R. (2006). Beneficial effects of green tea—a review. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 25(2), 79-99. Cooper, R., Morre, D. J., & Morre, D. M. (2005). Medicinal benefits of green tea: Part I. Review of noncancer health benefits. Journal of Alternative & Complementary Medicine, 11(3), 521-528. Crespy, V., & Williamson, G. (2004). A review of the health effects of green tea catechins in vivo animal models. The Journal of nutrition, 134(12), 3431S-3440S. Marin, N. (2011). Green Te: The Health Benefits and Different Types of Green Tea. Reprint Edition. BiblioBazar. Muirhead, W. E. (2008). Green Tea - It's Hidden Benefits. Lulu. Com. Nagao, T., Komine, Y., Soga, S., Meguro, S., Hase, T., Tanaka, Y., & Tokimitsu, I. (2005). Ingestion of a tea rich in catechins leads to a reduction in body fat and malondialdehyde- modified LDL in men. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 81(1), 122-129. Schneider, C., & Segre, T. (2009). Green tea: potential health benefits. Am Fam Physician, 79(7), 591-4. Wolfram, S. (2007). Effects of green tea and EGCG on cardiovascular and metabolic health. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 26(4), 373S-388S. Read More