Interestingly, there is some evidence that rosemary, along with its own antioxidant activity, actually recycles vitamin E to do just that. 3 Rosemary is therefore a great way to spice up your food and live the adage to let food be your medicine. If you are going to take a rosemary supplement, it would be wise to choose one that is standardized to carnosic acid and carnosol to ensure you are getting that free radical-quenching activity. Epidemiological studies suggest a protective effect of green tea against a variety of cancers, including colon cancer. The way this works is not exactly clear, but there is some evidence to suggest some components in tea have a direct effect on the digestive tract.
Green tea contains polyphenols and a specific family called catechins.
Individual catechins have names like epicatechin and epigallocatechin gallate. It appears that most of the benefits of tea can be attributed to these catechins. A study on human volunteers suggested that these catechins increase lactic acid bacteria and decrease putrefactive bacteria in the gut while lowering the intestinal pH. 4 A similar effect has been found in animal studies. 5 Lactic acid-producing bacteria include lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, gut dwellers with many beneficial effects. Putrefactive bacteria, such as clostridia and enterobacteriaceae, generally appear to have some negative effects.