From The May 2001 Issue of Nutrition Science News

Green Tea: A Team Player

By Bill Sardi

Antioxidants, the antirusting agents of biological systems, not only protect living tissues but also protect each other. For example, vitamin A protects vitamin C from oxidation, and vitamin C protects vitamin E. Researchers have learned that green tea's antioxidant components protect vitamin E and beta-carotene from oxidation. In fact, green tea's antioxidants do not begin to oxidize until vitamin C is completely depleted from human blood plasma. Researchers continue to find that an array of antioxidants works better than any single nutrient.

Bill Sardi is a health journalist at www.billsardi.com.

References

1. Lotito SB, Fraga CG. Catechins delay lipid oxidation and alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene depletion following ascorbate depletion in human plasma. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 2000;225:32-8.