Heena Sharma Blog

Green tea may reduce the risk of obesity and a number of inflammatory biomarkers linked with poor health, a study conducted in mice suggests. Mice fed a diet of two per cent green tea extract fared far better than those that ate a diet without it, according to the study published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. The finding has prompted an upcoming study of green tea's potential benefits in people at high risk of diabetes and heart disease. The benefits seen in the study appear to stem from improved gut health, including more beneficial microbes in the intestines of the mice and less permeability in the intestinal wall -- a condition typically called "leaky gut" in people. "This study provides evidence that green tea encourages the growth of good gut bacteria, and that leads to a series of benefits that significantly lower the risk of obesity," said Richard Bruno, the study's lead author and a professor at The Ohio State University

Want to restore the level of antioxidants -- key to ward off heart disease and Type-2 diabetes -- that you lost due to high consumption of fat rich-food in the holiday season? Eating five to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables as well as nuts, seeds, and legumes daily may help. A diet high in saturated fat results in chronic low-grade inflammation in the body that in turn leads to the development of metabolic syndrome -- a serious condition associated with cognitive dysfunction and dementia as well as being a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, fatty liver disease and Type-2 diabetes . For such patients, a higher intake of vitamin C is crucial to halt a potentially deadly cycle of antioxidant disruptions, the researchers said. "What these findings are really saying to people as we move out of the rich-food holiday season and into January is eat your fruits and vegetables," said Maret Traber, Professor at the Oregon State University in the US. Re