According to a new research conducted by the Medical College of Georgia, green tea can help cure some of the autoimmune diseases. The study conducted by this institute focused on type 1 diabetes and Sjogren’s syndrome which damages the glands that generate saliva and tears. It was found that by using green tea, the damage to the salivary gland was reduced considerably and reduced the symptoms of the Sjogren’s syndrome, which is usually called dry mouth. Dry mouth is caused by taking drugs, radiations etc. It is an autoimmune disorder that is suffered by approximately 30% of the elderly Americans. But since green tea is a very common ingredient of the Chinese diet, this syndrome was found in only one to two percent of the elderly Chinese.

The autoimmune disorders take place when the body’s immune system starts to attack its own tissues.. This may be caused by problems like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, xerostamia etc. these disorders can have serious effects on the health of the individual and can even cause life threatening effects. According to Dr. Stephen Hsu, a pioneer in the study of green tea for curing autoimmune diseases says that he wanted to know how the polyphenols present in green tea affect the production of autoantigens. Autoantigens are molecules present in the body which can trigger immune responses with change in the levels of their amount or location. Presently, he is studying the role of green tea in producing such autoantigens. Inflammation takes place when the immune system starts a defense against a real or perceived enemy. Since a polyphenol called EGCG present in green tea suppresses such kinds of inflammation, it also affects the magnitude of the autoimmune response by suppressing autoantigens.

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In the experiments conducted by Dr. Hsu, the cells which were exposed to green tea were observed to exhibit RNA and protein levels indicating that the autoantigen levels in the normal cells were suppressed. In the tumor cells however, these were not suppressed. Because of the relatively lower amounts of autoantigens in the healthier cells, the immune system is left with fewer possible targets to attack. This reduces the risk of autoimmune diseases to a great extent.

EGCG present in green tea can turn on the body’s defense system against a group of molecules called TNF-alpha. These molecules are involved in systematic inflammation and are produced by the white blood cells. They try to reach out and kill cells.. When the salivary glands were treated with EGCG, very few signs of cell deaths due to TNF-alpha were observed. The exact mechanism as to how EGCG makes this happen in not yet known. 

There are other autoimmune diseases that can be cured by using green tea. Psoriasis, which is an autoimmune disease, results in the thickening of the skin as it allows the growth of the skin cells to go out of control. The body’s immune reaction makes it even worse. The immune cells trigger the release of cytokines which further causes inflammation and more production of the skin cells. Autoimmune diseases like lupus lead to similar side effects along with skin lesions and dandruff. By using green tea, inflammation can be suppressed because it regulates the amount of Caspase-14 which is a protein present in the genes and regulates the life cycle of the skin cell. These results are of high importance because psoriasis and dandruff are known to have dangerous side effects.

Although green tea is a very effective way to cure these autoimmune diseases, there are some hindrances in its treatment. The useful chemicals present in green tea are very reactive and are easily oxidized when mixed with other ingredients. They can also dissolve in water which prevents them from entering the skin’s barrier. However, green tea is a non toxic way to regulate autoimmune diseases. Further study on them will determine their complete effects and uses for mankind.

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