Green tea fights illness better than red wine

More cancer-fighting chemicals are found in green tea than in red wine, according to a study presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Las Vegas.

Researchers at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, who were working with a grant from a company that makes green tea supplements, found high levels of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in green tea. They said EGCG was twice as powerful as resveratrol, which is found in red wine, and much more effective than vitamins C and E at protecting cells from damage.

The researchers used a strain of bacteria prone to genetic mutations and tested a variety of antioxidants on them, including vitamins E and C, EGCG, and the common preservatives BHA and BHT.

Scientists believe that antioxidants and plant molecules prevent the cellular damage that leads to disease by reacting with and neutralizing free radicals electrically charged molecules in the body. Other types of tea contain lower levels of antioxidants, and at least one study has shown that moderate intake of any kind of alcohol can reduce the risk of heart disease.