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Q & A with Dr. Jed Fahey

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Q:  I am on Coumadin (blood thinner) and am told that I have to be careful about consuming broccoli due to high Vitamin K content.  Does Brassica® Tea contain Vitamin K as well?
 
A:  We have not been able to measure the amount of Vitamin K in Brassica Tea.  Accurate analysis is extremely difficult and unreliable because Vitamin K is not water soluble.  Analyses in the Brassica Chemoprotection Laboratory show that BroccoSprouts contain 1.35 micrograms of Vitamin K per gram of fresh sprouts.  This converts to 135 micrograms per 100 grams (which is much more than one would consume per day), or 38 micrograms per one ounce serving.  The Vitamin K content of market stage (adult) broccoli is reported as 205-270 micrograms per 100 grams, and one might consume 100 grams of adult broccoli at a time.  Other vegetables are reported to contain from 5 to about 1,500 micrograms per 100 grams.  Given that the broccoli extract in the tea comes from the sprouts, and the amount of SGS is reduced from 73 milligrams per one ounce serving to 15 milligrams per tea bag, and given that Vitamin K is not water soluble, we believe Brassica Tea contains very little Vitamin K.  However, certainly discuss this with your physician.

Brassica Blog
News and notes about BroccoSprouts, Brassica Teas with SGS and Broccoli

Disclaimer

Information on this website is not a substitute for the advice of a qualified health professional and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. This website is intended for educational purpose only and is in no way intended to substitute for professional medical advice, contradict medical advice given, or for medical care of any kind.

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Health Benefits of Tea Print E-mail

Green tea has been used as medicine in China for thousands of years.  As technology and scientific research progresses, scientists are learning why.

The antioxidants, flavonoids and other polyphenols found in both green and black teas may offer protection from cancer, heart disease and stroke. Many animal studies suggest that tea may specifically protect against skin, lung, esophageal, stomach and colon cancer. Preliminary studies have also shown that tea may also strengthen the cardiovascular system by promoting healthy arteries, veins and reducing blood clotting, and therefore the risk of heart disease and stroke (1, 3-19). Image

Green tea contains high levels of catechin polyphenols; especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a potent antioxidant.  Studies indicate EGCG inhibits the growth of, as well as kills, cancer cells without damaging healthy cells.  EGCG also lowers LDL cholesterol levels and inhibits abnormal generation of blood clots.

While green tea leaves are steamed, stopping EGCG from oxidizing, black tea leaves are fermented, which causes EGCG to convert into other, less potent compounds.  However, black tea is rich in theaflavins and thearubins, and studies have suggested these compounds are effective in the reduction of LDL cholesterol, the reversal of abnormal functioning of blood vessels that can lead to stroke or heart attack, and the decrease in the risk of coronary heart disease. (www.chinesefood.about.com).

Rooibos (Red Bush) tea contains the flavonoids aspalathin, nothofagin, quercetin, rutin, isoquercitrin, orientin, isoorientin, luteolin, vitexin, isovitexin, and chrysoeriol.  Red Bush tea contains no oxalic acid, so it can safely be consumed by people who are prone to kidney stones.  The tea also contains many minerals: copper, iron, potassium, calcium, fluoride, zinc, manganese, alpha-hydroxy (great for the skin), and magnesium.  People believe Red Bush tea eases irritability, headaches, nervous tension and insomnia; relieves gastric distress; acts as an anti-inflammatory that can be used to treat hay fever, asthma and eczema; can slow the aging process when placed directly on the skin; and boosts the immune system.

Highlights of the tea research to date:

  • Tea consumption has been shown to lessen both the onset and the severity of rheumatoid arthritis (3)
  • Tea may help prevent stomach, colon and rectal cancers. It is important to note that there is still a considerable debate regarding the ability of tea polyphenols to prevent cancers in humans. However, many epidemiology studies (4-9) and animal studies (10,11) have shown that tea consumption may play a significant role in cancer prevention.
  • Tea consumption may inhibit the growth of skin cancers (12-17)
  • Tea may help to prevent cardiovascular disease by relaxing the smooth muscle in arteries, thereby reducing blood pressure (18,19).

 

REFERENCES:

  1. J Nutr Biochem 2001 Jul;12(7):404-421 A review of latest research findings on the health promotion properties of tea. Dufresne CJ, Farnworth ER.
  2. The perfect cup of tea: The Tea Council http://www.teacouncil.co.uk/
  3. Arthritis Rheum 2002 Jan;46(1):83-91 Coffee, tea, and caffeine consumption and risk of rheumatoid arthritis: results from the Iowa Women's Health Study. Mikuls TR, Cerhan JR, Criswell LA, Merlino L, Mudano AS, Burma M, Folsom AR, Saag KG.
  4. Ann Epidemiol 2000 Aug;10(6):401-8 Relation between green tea consumption and the severity of coronary atherosclerosis among Japanese men and women. Sasazuki S, Kodama H, Yoshimasu K, Liu Y, Washio M, Tanaka K, Tokunaga S, Kono S, Arai H, Doi Y, Kawano T, Nakagaki O, Takada K, Koyanagi S, Hiyamuta K, Nii T, Shirai K, Ideishi M, Arakawa K, Mohri M, Takeshita A.
  5. Int J Cancer 2001 May 15;92(4):600-4 Protective effect of green tea on the risks of chronic gastritis and stomach cancer. Setiawan VW, Zhang ZF, Yu GP, Lu QY, Li YL, Lu ML, Wang MR, Guo CH, Yu SZ, Kurtz RC, Hsieh CC.
  6. Adv Exp Med Biol 2001;492:39-53 Tea and tea polyphenols in cancer prevention. Yang CS, Yang GY, Chung JY, Lee MJ, Li C.
  7. Cancer Causes Control 2001 Aug;12(6):501-8 A prospective study of green tea consumption and cancer incidence, Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Japan). Nagano J, Kono S, Preston DL, Mabuchi K.
  8. Drug Metab Rev 2001 Aug-Nov;33(3-4):237-53 Prevention of carcinogenesis by tea polyphenols. Yang CS, Prabhu S, Landau J.
  9. Cancer Lett 2001 Jun 26;167(2):175-82 Regular consumption of green tea and the risk of breast cancer recurrence: follow-up study from the Hospital-based Epidemiologic Research Program at Aichi Cancer Center (HERPACC), Japan. Inoue M, Tajima K, Mizutani M, Iwata H, Iwase T, Miura S, Hirose K, Hamajima N, Tominaga S.
  10. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2001 Aug 28;98(18):10350-5 Inhibition of prostate carcinogenesis in TRAMP mice by oral infusion of green tea polyphenols. Gupta S, Hastak K, Ahmad N, Lewin JS, Mukhtar H.
  11. Annu Rev Nutr 2001;21:381-406 Inhibition of carcinogenesis by dietary polyphenolic compounds. Yang CS, Landau JM, Huang MT, Newmark HL.
  12. Mutat Res 1998 Nov 9;422(1):191-9 Protection by black tea and green tea against UVB and UVA + B induced skin cancer in hairless mice. Record IR, Dreosti IE.
  13. Nutr Cancer 1998;32(2):71-5 Protection by tea against UV-A + B-induced skin cancers in hairless mice. Record IR, Dreosti IE.
  14. J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc 1996 Apr;1(2):209-14 Skin cancer chemoprevention. Mukhtar H, Agarwal R.
  15. Int J Oncol 2001 Jun;18(6):1307-13 Green tea polyphenolic antioxidants and skin photoprotection. Katiyar SK, Elmets CA.
  16. Arch Dermatol 2000 Aug;136(8):989-94. Green tea and skin. Katiyar SK, Ahmad N, Mukhtar H.
  17. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2000 Jul;9(7):727-31 Tea intake and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin: influence of type of tea beverages. Hakim IA, Harris RB, Weisgerber UM.
  18. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2001 Apr;928:274-80 A new function of green tea: prevention of lifestyle-related diseases. Sueoka N, Suganuma M, Sueoka E, Okabe S, Matsuyama S, Imai K, Nakachi K, Fujiki H.
  19. Biofactors 2000;13(1-4):49-54 Preventive effects of drinking green tea on cancer and cardiovascular disease: epidemiological evidence for multiple targeting prevention. Nakachi K, Matsuyama S, Miyake S, Suganuma M, Imai K.

 

 
 
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