Does Tea Belong in the Medicine Chest?
(HealthDay, 9/8/03)

Numerous papers being presented at the American Chemical Society meeting in NYC on 9/8/03 support the health benefits of tea. A study by Dr. Jack F. Bukowski, of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, concludes that certain molecules in tea can activate gamma delta T lymphocytes, a component of the immune system that fights infection and tumors. Dr. Bukowski, and team, had volunteers who did not ordinarily consume tea or coffee, drink 5 to 6 cups of black tea or instant coffee for either two or four weeks. The investigators found greater immune activity against bacteria in blood samples taken after tea drinking. In another study, Hasan Mukhtar, of the University of Wisconsin, found that tea inhibited cancer in mice that had been bred to develop prostate tumors. Other scientists demonstrated an association between the consumption of green tea extract and reduced body fat; while Boston researchers found that drinking tea may reduce the risk of heart attack