Green tea blocks the effects of rheumatoid arthritis, says new study
According to a team of researchers at Washington State University, green tea has the potential to be used as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. A molecule in the green tea has been found to have anti-inflammatory properties which could combat the joint pain, inflammation and tissue damage caused by the debilitating disorder.
The new research, has been published in Arthritis and Rheumatology, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology. Dr Salah-uddin Ahmed, the researcher on the project says he and his team evaluated a molecule with anti-inflammatory properties found in green tea. The molecule is a phytochemical called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and the study suggests that the properties in it effectively blocks the effects of the disease, without blocking other cellular functions.
Dr Ahmed says, “Existing drugs for rheumatoid arthritis are expensive, immunosuppressive and sometimes unsuitable for long-term use. This study has opened the field of research into using EGCG for targeting TAK1 – an important signalling protein – through which proinflammatory cytokines transmit their signals to cause inflammation and tissue destruction in rheumatoid arthritis.”
Dr Ahmed has been researching studies related to rheumatoid arthritis for the last 15 years. He and his team confirmed their finding in a pre-clinical animal model of human rheumatoid arthritis, where they observed that ankle swelling was reduced in animals given EGCE in a 10-day treatment.
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