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Michael Bernstein
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Sept. 6-11, 2003, in New York
212-542-1703 or 212-333-6356

American Chemical Society

Health benefits of tea is focus of one-day symposium, Sept. 8

NEW YORK — Evidence that tea contributes to better health continues to grow. Research shows that the popular brew, particularly green tea, contains compounds that fight fat, cancer, heart disease, infection and other conditions. A special one-day symposium on the health benefits of tea will be presented at the 226th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.

The symposium begins at 9:00 a.m., Monday, Sept. 8, at the Javits Convention Center, Room 1A08. Thirteen presentations are scheduled for the program. A few highlights are described below:

Green tea fights fat — Doctors may one day prescribe green tea to help you fight fat: Researchers in Japan have identified a special green tea extract that significantly reduced body fat when fed to mice daily over several months. The extract, which seems to inhibit the absorption of fats and starches, is being developed into a pill or drink that the scientists hope will have a similar fat-fighting effect in people. (AGFD 44, Monday, Sept. 8, 10:45 a.m., Javits Convention Center, Room 1A08)
Lotion made from tea could help fight skin cancer — A popular drink may soon become a life-saving lotion: Researchers at the University of Minnesota in Austin are developing a new cream composed of compounds found in tea to help fight skin cancer, the most common type of cancer in the United States. Early animal tests are promising, according to the researchers. Full news release available. (AGFD 59, Monday, Sept. 8, 9:00 a.m., Javits Convention Center, Room 1A08)
Green tea targets prostate cancer — A new study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin Medical Center provides further evidence that drinking green tea may help prevent prostate cancer. In animal tests, mice fed the human equivalent of six cups of green tea per day showed significant inhibition of prostate cancer development and its spread. September is prostate cancer awareness month. (AGFD 61, Monday, Sept. 8, 2:20 p.m., Javits Convention Center, Room 1A08)
Good news for smokers: Green tea shown to reduce risk of mouth cancer — Researchers at the Institute for Cancer Prevention have found that drinking green tea may reduce the risk of mouth cancer in smokers. In a small pilot study using human subjects, the researchers found that drinking five cups of green tea daily over a four-week period significantly reduced DNA damage in the mouth cells of smokers, reducing their likelihood of developing precancerous lesions and ultimately cancer. (AGFD 62, Monday, Sept. 8, 3:10 p.m., Javits Convention Center, Room 1A08)
Tea for a healthy heart — Take heart, tea drinkers: Researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine will present a review of their past studies that show drinking tea helps improve the function of blood vessels and platelets and may therefore reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. (AGFD 63, Monday, Sept. 8, 3:35 p.m., Javits Convention Center, Room 1A08)
Tea boosts immunity — People often drink tea to fight colds and flu. Now, new research supports the practice. Investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston recently showed in human subjects that drinking five to six cups of black tea per day significantly boosts the part of the immune system that functions as a first line of defense against infection. (AGFD 65, Monday, Sept. 8, 4:25 p.m., Javits Convention Center, Room 1A08)
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