Green tea for good health

Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Everyone knows naturally occurring antioxidants in green tea contribute to good health. Advertisers have touted green tea and their supplements as a cure for everything from headaches to depression.

New OSU researcher Arpita Basu, an assistant professor of nutritional science, is studying the effects of green tea compared to green tea supplements on metabolic syndrome, a medical condition that leads to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

“We want to determine whether green tea produces different results than supplements, or if they are similarly beneficial,” said Basu, who joined OSU’s nutritional sciences last fall following post-doctoral work at the University of California Davis Medical Center.

Because metabolic syndrome is a precursor to Type 2 diabetes and subsequent coronary artery disease, blood samples also will be taken to measure participants’ levels of insulin and cholesterol, inflammation and oxidative stress, which contribute to the disease process.

Basu and colleague Timothy Lyons, a physician at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, will study 60 people with metabolic syndrome in this trial. One group is given four cups of green tea daily; another group takes equal amounts of green tea supplements; and a control group drinks four cups of water daily.

All participants are consuming a green tea commonly found in grocery stores, Basu said.

“We require everyone to drink their tea or water at the clinic in Oklahoma City, and each cup is prepared by our staff to ensure consistency.”

Basu said this research is part of her dietetic internship at OSU and will be especially valuable later when she becomes a registered dietician.

“I’ve always been interested in the health benefits of natural foods and plant-based nutrients rich in antioxidants,” she said. “Right now, I’m interested to see how previous research results from cell and animal studies translate to human subjects.”

Research already underway on micronutrients and phytochemicals attracted Basu to OSU’s epartment of Nutritional Sciences.

“Our department has very good core research in phytochemicals and plant-derived compounds,” she said.

Basu said she’ll emphasize lifestyle changes as well as proper nutrition to her clients.

“Diet is just one element of good health, but research into plant-based nutrients is increasingly important in preventing diseases. These findings could go a long way in improving people’s health.”