Green Tea and Apples May Protect Health

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New research may suggest that compounds in apples and green tea may help to protect our health. Other dietary studies have shown that consuming diets high in fruits and vegetables reduces the chance of developing chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. There could be multiple reasons for this. One reason may be the fact that fruits and vegetables contain polyphenols, which may help to protect our health. 

In this study it was shown that polyphenols that are in green tea and apples block a signaling molecule called VEGF, which can trigger atherosclerosis in the body and anti-cancer drugs. In the body VEGF drives blood cell formation by a process called angiogenesis. Angiogenesis is a major contributor to cancer progression and the formation of plaque and plaque rupture, which can cause a heart attack or stroke. Using cells that were from human blood vessels, the researchers found that low levels of EGCG the polyphenol in green tea and procyanidin from apples stopped an important signaling function of VEGF. If this mechanism were to happen in the body as well, polyphenols will be very helpful in protection of our health. 

The polyphenols also activated another enzyme that makes nitric oxide in the blood. Nitric oxide helps to widen blood vessels and prevent damage. This was not expected. VEGF also activates nitric oxide while, anti-cancer drugs try and reduce nitric oxide. This could potentially lead to an increase in hypertension with some people. More research is needed to determine if this mechanism happens in the body and to what extent nitric oxide is being activated and reduced. 

Christina W. A. Moyle, Ana B. Cerezo, Mark S. Winterbone, Wendy J. Hollands, Yuri Alexeev, Paul W. Needs, Paul A. Kroon. Potent inhibition of VEGFR-2 activation by tight binding of green tea epigallocatechin gallate and apple procyanidins to VEGF: Relevance to angiogenesis. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 2015; 59 (3): 401 DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.201400478

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