 |
|
Green tea may help prevent autoimmune diseases
April 20, 2007Green tea may help protect against autoimmune disease, Medical College of Georgia researchers say.
Researchers studied an animal model for type I diabetes and primary Sjogren's Syndrome, which damages the glands that produce tears and saliva.
They found significantly less salivary gland damage in a group treated with green tea extract, suggesting a reduction of the Sjogren's symptom commonly referred to as dry mouth. Dry mouth can also be caused by certain drugs, radiation and other diseases.
Approximately 30 percent of elderly Americans suffer from degrees of dry mouth, says Dr. Stephen Hsu, a researcher in the MCG School of Dentistry and lead investigator on the study. Only 5 percent of the elderly in China, where green tea is widely consumed, suffer from the problem.
"Since it is an autoimmune disease, Sjogren's Syndrome causes the body to attack itself and produce extra antibodies that mistakenly target the salivary and lacrimal glands," he says.
There is no cure or prevention for Sjogren's Syndrome.
Researchers studied the salivary glands of the water-consuming group and a green tea extract-consuming group to look for inflammation and the number of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells that gather at sites of inflammation to fend off foreign cells.
The group treated with green tea had significantly fewer lymphocytes, Dr. Hsu says. Their blood also showed lower levels of autoantibodies, protein weapons produced when the immune system attacks itself, he says.
Researchers already know that one component of green tea - EGCG - helps suppress inflammation, according to Dr. Hsu.
"So, we suspected that green tea would suppress the inflammatory response of this disease. Those treated with the green tea extract beginning at three weeks, showed significantly less damage to those glands over time."
These results, published in a recent issue of Autoimmunity, reinforced findings of a 2005 study showing a similar phenomenon in a Petrie dish, Dr. Hsu says.
Researchers also suspect that the EGCG in green tea can turn on the body's defense system against TNF-alpha - a group of proteins and molecules involved in systemic inflammation.
TNF-alpha, which is produced by white blood cells, can reach out to target and kill cells.
"The salivary gland cells treated with EGCG had much fewer signs of cell death caused by TNF-alpha," Dr. Hsu says. "We don't yet know exactly how EGCG makes that happen. That will require further study. In some ways, this study gives us more questions than answers."
Further study could help determine green tea's protective role in other autoimmune diseases, including lupus, psoriasis, scleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis, he says.
Medical College of Georgia
Approximately 30 percent of elderly Americans suffer from degrees of dry mouth, says Dr. Stephen Hsu, a researcher in the MCG School of Dentistry and lead investigator on the study. Only 5 percent of the elderly in China, where green tea is widely consumed, suffer from the problem.
"Since it is an autoimmune disease, Sjogren's Syndrome causes the body to attack itself and produce extra antibodies that mistakenly target the salivary and lacrimal glands," he says.
There is no cure or prevention for Sjogren's Syndrome.
Researchers studied the salivary glands of the water-consuming group and a green tea extract-consuming group to look for inflammation and the number of lymphocytes, a type of white blood cells that gather at sites of inflammation to fend off foreign cells.
The group treated with green tea had significantly fewer lymphocytes, Dr. Hsu says. Their blood also showed lower levels of autoantibodies, protein weapons produced when the immune system attacks itself, he says.
Researchers already know that one component of green tea - EGCG - helps suppress inflammation, according to Dr. Hsu.
"So, we suspected that green tea would suppress the inflammatory response of this disease. Those treated with the green tea extract beginning at three weeks, showed significantly less damage to those glands over time."
These results, published in a recent issue of Autoimmunity, reinforced findings of a 2005 study showing a similar phenomenon in a Petrie dish, Dr. Hsu says.
Researchers also suspect that the EGCG in green tea can turn on the body's defense system against TNF-alpha - a group of proteins and molecules involved in systemic inflammation.
TNF-alpha, which is produced by white blood cells, can reach out to target and kill cells.
"The salivary gland cells treated with EGCG had much fewer signs of cell death caused by TNF-alpha," Dr. Hsu says. "We don't yet know exactly how EGCG makes that happen. That will require further study. In some ways, this study gives us more questions than answers."
Further study could help determine green tea's protective role in other autoimmune diseases, including lupus, psoriasis, scleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis, he says.
Medical College of Georgia
Autoimmune Disease Current Events and Autoimmune Disease News RSSLargest gene study of childhood IBD identifies 5 new genes
In the largest, most comprehensive genetic analysis of childhood-onset inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an international research team has identified five new gene regions, including one involved in a biological pathway that helps drive the painful inflammation of the digestive tract that characterizes the disease.
Researchers find new way to attack inflammation in Graves' eye disease
A small group of patients with severe Graves' eye disease experienced rapid improvement of their symptoms - and improved vision - following treatment with the drug rituximab.
Kidney transplants generally safe for lupus patients
Individuals with a history of lupus who receive a kidney transplant rarely develop the serious inflammatory condition lupus nephritis in their new organ, according to a paper being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Diego, CA.
Geneticists Hunt for Scleroderma Triggers
At its most benign, the autoimmune disease scleroderma can discolor parts of the skin of its sufferers. At its most pernicious, it can thicken and harden their skin, their blood vessels, and their internal organs before, in many cases, killing them.
Pain thresholds linked to inflammation and sleep problems in arthritis patients
Despite recent advances in anti-inflammatory therapy, many rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients continue to suffer from pain.
Stanford study identifies cellular mechanism that causes lupuslike symptoms in mice
Macrophages, the scavenger cells of the body's immune system, are responsible for disposing of dying cells. Stanford University School of Medicine researchers have identified one pathway in this important process in mice that, if disrupted, causes a lupuslike autoimmune disease.
Strategy for mismatched stem cell transplants triggers protection against graft-vs.-host disease
A new technique being tested in stem-cell transplants from imperfectly matched donors has revealed a striking, unforeseen response that can suppress graft-versus-host disease, a common and dangerous complication of mismatched transplants, report scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
National report shines light on lupus 50-year treatment drought
Today, The Lewin Group, a national health care consulting firm, issued recommendations on ways to overcome the barriers that have obstructed lupus drug development resulting in no new drug approval for this disease in more than 50 years - since the Eisenhower Administration.
Promising new target emerges for autoimmune diseases
University of Michigan scientists say they have uncovered a fundamentally new mechanism that holds in check aggressive immune cells that can attack the body's own cells.
Blood pressure medication to treat multiple sclerosis?
Conventional blood pressure medication can treat inflammation in an animal model mimicking multiple sclerosis (MS). This discovery was made by Dr. Michael Platten, head consultant at the department of Neurooncology at Heidelberg University Hospital and head of the Helmholtz Experimental Neuroimmunology Junior Research Group on at the German Cancer Research Center and his team in cooperation with scientists from Stanford University in California.
More Autoimmune Disease Current Events and Autoimmune Disease News Articles
 |
Living Well with Autoimmune Disease: What Your Doctor Doesn't Tell You...That You Need to Know by Mary J. Shomon (Author) Are you tired? Achy? Depressed? Overweight? You could be suffering from an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune disease is the third major category of illness in the United States, yet very little is known about the many serious and chronic immune conditions. If you're one of the 50 million Americans suffering from one kind of autoimmune disease-whether it's lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, thyroid disease, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, or Crohn's disease-there's a good chance you'll develop another. This book can help. Written by Mary J. Shomon, a well-known patient advocate who was diagnosed with autoimmune disease in 1995, this guide to alternative and natural remedies shows you how to treat the underlying causes of immune system... |
 |
The Autoimmune Epidemic by Donna Jackson Nakazawa (Author), Dr. Douglas Kerr (Foreword) From the foreword by Dr. Douglas Kerr, Director, Johns Hopkins Transverse Myelitis Center "The Autoimmune Epidemic by Donna Jackson Nakazawa is an astounding book....It is the kind of book that will rivet you and scare you. It will make you angry. It will amaze you with the courage of some of the people described in the book...The Autoimmune Epidemic is every bit as compelling as Upton Sinclair's The Jungle...It is also every bit as necessary as An Inconvenient Truth.... You will leave this book with no reservations about the veracity of the conclusions: put simply, there is no doubt that autoimmune diseases are on the rise and increasing environmental exposures of toxins and chemicals is fueling this rise. The research is sound. The conclusions unassailable.... Reading The... |
 |
Anti-Aging Vibes Rhodiola Rosea Nutrition Supplement, 60 Capsules by Anti-Aging Vibes For centuries, the herb Rhodiola has been used in traditional medicine in Russia, Scandinavia, and other countries, and is a perfect candidate for supplementing the Anti-Aging Vibes Core Program. Rhodiola is a powerful "adaptogenic" herb, meaning that it has a broad range of actions with no known downsides In fact, Mongolian doctors used it to support healthy lung and cell function.* Further research shows that it protects from mental and physical stress, toxins, and cold temperature stress.* Rhodiola Rosea contains active ingredients that are responsible for its wide range of beneficial actions. Anti-Aging Vibes Rhodiola is "standardized" to contain at least 3 percent rosavin, the primary active compound in the herb. Rosavin doesn't account for all of the herb's activity and our... |
 |
Women, Work, and Autoimmune Disease: Keep Working, Girlfriend! by Rosalind Joffe (Author), Joan Friedlander (Author), L.G. Mansfield (Editor) When a woman receives a life-changing diagnosis of a serious, chronic illness, her first instinct may be to quit the workforce. This may bring a strong sense of relief initially, but as her disease becomes manageable, work is again desirable. Women, Work, and Autoimmune Disease urges women so affected to stay employed in order to preserve their independence and sense of self. Filled with tips, tricks, and first-person accounts, this book is a resounding call for self-reliance and resilience. Authors Rosalind Joffe and Joan Friedlander identity the factors that make working particularly difficult for women with autoimmune disease, and then offer practical suggestions to address them. Exploring such issues as the complexities of autoimmune diseases and the correlation between disease,... |
 |
Gastric Gold Aloe Vera AMP 90 Count Bottle by Alternative Health Products Gastric Gold is helpful in reversing and correcting many digestive and gastrointestinal tract disorders and diseases. A.M.P. (Aloe Mucilaginous Polysaccharide) the main ingredient in Gastric Gold purifies the blood, cleanses the liver, restores and protects the digestive tract, while it works to stop the damaging causes of these painful conditions: The Aloe Vera plant has been recognized for many years for its remarkable health-enhancing properties. In the past it was known for external applications for the skin only. Concentrated and stabilized Aloe (AMP) the active ingredient in Gastric Gold, is now widely used to help a variety of conditions in the digestive tract. The digestive tract is designed to ensure nutrients from food are absorbed into the blood stream while dispensing with... |
 |
Recovery SA Freedom to Move, Powder 1 Kg by Biomedica Nutraceutical Medicine Company Recovery SA is an oral anti-inflammatory / anti-catabolic used primarily to improve surgical recovery and disease tissue breakdown, inflammation and pain associated with chronic degenerative conditions, such as arthritis and autoimmune diseases. |
 |
Treating Primary Immune Deficiency Each year, several hundred children are born with faulty immune systems, leaving them vulnerable to every germ they encounter. Thousands of adults also have primary immunodeficiency, but don't know it. Unlike the "boy in the bubble" 30 years ago, people diagnosed with primary immunodeficiency today can often be successfully treated or even cured. Unfortunately, many cases are being missed - particularly in patients without primary care physicians. In this program, we'll explain why and provide new insights. Treating Primary Immune Deficiency is part of the award winning public television series Healthy Body, Healthy Mind. This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply. |
|
Immunol Focus Autoimmune Video 5 [VHS] Starring: Johnstone | |
 |
Body Wars (non-profit) Starring: Adam Harrington Directed By: Glenn Krawczyk Also With: Glenn Krawczyk (Writer), Stephen H. Schwartz (Producer), Andrew Waterworth (Producer), Michael Stedman (Producer) |
 |
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Autoimmune Disorders: The Revolutionary, Drug-Free Treatments for Thyroid Disease, Lupus, MS, IBD, Chronic Fatigue; Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Other Diseases by Stephen B. Edelson (Author), Deborah Mitchell (Author) Autoimmune disorders are not well understood and therefore difficult to treat. The result is that there are millions of Americans who are suffering because they aren't being diagnosed properly, or getting the correct medical treatment they need. Here, Dr. Edelson discusses the most common types of autoimmune diseases, including lupus, Chron's disease, thyroid disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic fatigue syndrome, outlining their symptoms, causes, and risk factors. He describes his own revolutionary program for treating the root of all autoimmune disorders-without drugs-providing readers with new hope for getting back on the road to better health. |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |