New York Buyers’ Club - The Blog

We return to this excellent guide published in 2007 by Hyla Cass, a practicing physician and expert on integrative medicine.

In Chapter 4 of the book, Dr. Cass reviews recent findings that call into question the idea that dietary cholesterol causes cardiovascular disease. In line with the current scientific thinking on this subject, she suggests looking at underlying inflammation as essential to any understanding of risks to heart and circulatory system health. As a consequence, she says, people who want to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease should consider dietary changes that are anti-inflammatory (that is, a diet high in antioxidants, anti-inflammatory herbs, and antioxidant-rich foods–that’s colorful fruits and vegetables, curry, turmeric, rosemary, ginger, green tea, dark chocolate, low-toxin fish like salmon or sardines).

Statin drugs, though they come with some side effects, have proven of benefit to certain groups of people with cardiovascular complications, including diabetics, those who have had a heart attack, and those diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. Like many others, Dr. Cass recommends supplementing with CoQ 10 if you’re taking statins. She also supports use of omega-3 fatty acids (from fish oil), niacin (though not recommended for diabetics), plant sterols, tocotrienols (a form of the antioxidant vitamin E), and D-ribose for controlling cholesterol and otherwise countering cardiovascular disease. In addition, the B vitamins are recommended to help lower homocysteine, high levels of which are associated with artery damage and increased risk of heart disease.

Citation: Hyla Cass, M.D., Supplement Your Prescription: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About Nutrition (Basic Health Publications, 2007).

The Pacific College of Oriental Medicine website hosts an overview of research on green tea and HIV. Here’s an excerpt:

[...]Dr. Kuzushige Kawai at the University of Tokyo is one of a handful of scientists who have taken an interest in the implications of Green Tea for treatment of HIV. Most specifically it is the Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) scientists are interested in. This is the same chemical compound that has been linked with lower rates of heart disease, stroke, lowered cholesterol, managing diabetes, and better liver health.

What Dr. Kawai found in lab tests was that the EGCG found in Green Tea prevented the virus from bonding to CD4 molecules in healthy T-cells, by bonding with them before the virus.

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Read the rest of the article at

http://www.pacificcollege.edu/publications/articles/2006/december/12-03-2006_green_tea.htm

NYBC has stocked a Jarrow green tea extract: http://nybcsecure.org/product_info.php?products_id=260

We’d be glad to hear any reports on use of this product, or any additional information our members may have on green tea.

NYBC recently began to stock these two Source Natural formulas that include theanine, an amino acid that’s a key component of green tea. Read some of the recent research about potential benefits of theanine in the entries below.

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Theanine Serene

Each TWO tablets contain:
Magnesium (as magnesium chelate) - 300 mg
GABA (gamma-amino-butyric acid) - 500 mg
Taurine - 450 mg
L-Theanine - 200 mg
Holy Basil Leaf Extract 5:1- 100 mg

and

Theanine Serene with Relora

Each TWO tablets contain:
GABA (gamma-amino-butyric acid) - 500 mg
Taurine - 450 mg
L-Theanine - 200 mg
Relora - 150 mg
(A proprietary blend of patented extracts from Magnolia officinalis and Phellodendron amurense)
Holy Basil Leaf Extract 5:1 - 100 mg
Magnesium (as magnesium chelate) - 300 mg
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Theanine is an amino acid found in green tea, also known as N-ethyl-L-glutamine. It has been shown in the test tube to protect neurons against damage caused by glutamic acid (by blocking the receptors in the brain where glutamic acid would bind) and oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL or bad cholesterol). A recent study showed it to be very safe with a no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL) of 4000 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, the highest dose tested (Food Chem Toxicol, 2006 Jul;44(7):1158-1166).

Note: Do not use if pregnant or if using other MAO or serotonin-reuptake inhibitors.