Green tea aids mice models with Duchenne

Green Tea
A recent study in the mdx mouse (the animal model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy) has shown that a high intake of green tea may have potential for warding off muscle cell death and deterioration. Researchers have found that an intake equivalent to seven cups of green tea per day decreased muscle wasting in one type of leg muscle in dystrophic laboratory mice.

There is an increase in oxidative damage when dystrophin is abnormal, and it has been suggested that the tea acts as an antioxidant and helps to combat oxidative stress. This result has not been tested in humans but green tea is generally safe for individuals with neuromuscular conditions to drink.

See the article ‘Green tea extract decreases muscle necrosis in mdx mice and protects against reactive oxygen species’ in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 75, No 4, 749-753 April 2002 and abstract is available at www.ajcn.org

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