Part of drink blocks access to immune system's cells, study finds
(Houston Chronicle) Chalk up another one for green tea.
In test-tube experiments, a component of the ubiquitous health beverage blocks the ability of the AIDS virus to hijack and destroy immune-system cells, scientists from Houston and the United Kingdom say.
Green tea's benefits stem from a substance called epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG. EGCG is a flavonoid, a compound that gives green tea its color, and has anti-cancer, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. EGCG-based cancer drugs already are in clinical trials.
It also holds some promise in fighting HIV — though nobody's recommending it yet for AIDS prevention or treatment: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/chronicle/4293866.html.
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