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Saved by a cuppa cha

Saved by a cuppa cha TANKARDS-full of green tea are good for the liver and the heart, say researchers from the department of epidemiology, Saitama Cancer Research Institute, Japan.

Green tea is different from brown tea in the way the 2 are processed- green tea does not undergo fermentation, because of which its contents of tannin and caffeine are lower than in brown tea.

The increased guzzling of green tea leads to a decrease in the concentration of total cholesterol and triglycerides in the serum (blood without the red blood cells). High cholesterol and triglycerides invariably lead to atherosclerosis - fat deposition, and thus a traffic jam, in the blood vessels. Common old age ailments such as hypertension and chest and heart diseases are the outcome of atherosclerosis.

It was also observed that the levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDL-fat pro- teins) increased dramatically while the levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) went down when green tea was gorged with a vengeance. The ratio Of HDL : LDL should remain more than I so as to forcefully inhibit atherosclerosis.

Decreased concentrations of hepatological markers in the serum were noticed in people who consumed more than 10 cups of green tea a day. Hepatological markers are enzymes in the serum, the presence or absence of which indicates the condition of the-liver.

Green tea prevents cell damage in the liver, lowering the concentration of aspartate aminotransferase, analine transferase and ferritin - all of them hepatological markers - thus indicating that a liver is robust and working.

Unfortunately, heavy tea drinkers came from an elderly age group, a fact that put this study on a tight leash. The researchers, K Imai and K Nakachi, say that a follow-up study is required as their pilot group could have been the healthier counterparts of the group scrutinised.