Scientists at Rutgers University have discovered that green tea extract can cause liver damage in carriers of certain mutations. Findings published Journal of Dietary Supplements.
As the authors point out, there is growing evidence that high doses of green tea extract may have significant health benefits. This was also confirmed by a new analysis by scientists using data from the high-quality Minnesota Green Tea Study. More than a thousand postmenopausal women participated in the annual placebo-controlled study.
Scientists have found that taking high doses (834 milligrams per day) of green tea extract for a long time may offer some protection against cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes, while also causing liver damage in a small group. people.
The main antioxidant in green tea is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). In humans, it is broken down by an enzyme called catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). The scientists found three mutations in the gene for this enzyme; one was associated with an 80% increase in the level of a biomarker of liver damage.
Scientists are still far from fully understanding which factors influence the risk of liver damage, he said. A full explanation would likely include genetic variants and possibly a number of non-genetic factors.
Source: Gazeta
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