Polyphenols are chemicals that occur naturally in certain foods, including green tea, and many work as antioxidants to protect the body from oxidative stress that causes disease. In each of three different study groups, the mice given the green tea polyphenols were significantly less likely to develop arthritis. In addition, researchers noted that the eight arthritic mice that received the green tea polyphenols developed less severe forms of arthritis. Extensive laboratory research and the epidemiologic findings of the last 15 years have revealed that polyphenolic compounds present in green tea may prevent the onset and subsequent progression of a variety of illnesses. Perhaps now arthritis can be added to the list.
Tea is one of the most commonly consumed beverages in the world, second only to water.
However, only 20 percent of the tea consumed worldwide is green tea. The remainder is black tea. Although there is no epidemiologic data, anecdotal evidence indicates that people in countries where green tea is consumed are far less likely to have rheumatoid arthritis, said the study's senior author, Hasan Mukhtar, professor of dermatology. In the United States, however, this debilitating disease has been diagnosed in more than 2 million people. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease that causes pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of function in the joints.