Musings of the Badshahs

Scientists Link Green Tea With Improved Bone Health

Miami, FL (AHN) – The health benefits of green tea have long been touted, but new research suggests the beverage could also improve bone health.

Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong said in a statement that green tea contains a group of chemicals that can stimulate bone formation and also help slow bone loss. They see it as a potential treatment for osteoporosis and other bone diseases.

The researchers said after exposing a group of cultured bone-forming cells to three green tea components for several days, one component in particular seemed most beneficial. Epigallocatechin, or EGC, boosted the activity of a key enzyme that promotes bone growth by almost 80 percent, the researchers said. EGC also boosted significantly the levels of mineralization in the cells.

Green tea has been studied in the past for its protective properties against cancer, heart disease and other ailments.

The study is published in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.