Green tea contains compounds called polyphenols, which help eliminate free
radicals. These free radicals can cause cancer by altering DNA. Polyphenols
also protect healthy cells while promoting the death of cancer cells.
Cell biologist Dr. Stephen Hsu recently began studying the most abundant green
tea polyphenol, called EGCG, and its effect on skin cells. Hsu and his colleagues
compared the growth of normal skin cells to those exposed to EGCG.
They found the EGCG reactivated dying skin cells.
"Cells that migrate toward the surface of the skin normally live about 28
days, and by day 20 they basically sit on the upper layer of the skin getting
ready to die. But EGCG reactivates them. I was so surprised," Hsu says in
a news release.
He and his colleagues also found other ways that EGCG benefits skin cells.
The findings indicate that EGCG may offer potential benefits for skin conditions
including psoriasis, rosacea, wrinkles and wounds.
The research appears on the online version of the
Journal of Pharmacology
and Experimental Therapeutics.
