Study: Green Tea Protects Against Osteoarthritis

Drinking green tea has been linked to preventing heart disease, stroke, certain cancers and now osteoarthritis, according to researchers at the University of Sheffield in England.

Two compounds in green tea - epigallocatchin gallate (EGCG) and (epicatechin gallate (ECG) - help prevent osteoarthritis by blocking the enzyme that destroys cartilage, according to researchers.

For people to get this protective effect against osteoarthritis, they have to start drinking it well in advance, said researcher Dr. David Buttle, of the University of Sheffield.

"If you have fairly severe joint damage it may be too late to do anything about it, but if you spend decades of your life drinking green tea in the end it may be beneficial," Buttle told the BBC.

So far, Buttle said the findings about the protective effects os EGCG have resulted from test-tube work. "We now need to do more tests and then further work on human volunteers," he said.

Sheffield University has taken out a patent for the use of EGCG in treating osteoarthritis.

Other sources: BBC