Aronia Berry Extract rich in polyphenols may help decrease inflammation in the eye

Uveitis is the general term for inflammation in the eye, it can also refer to inflammation in the uvea that consists of the iris and ciliary body in the front of the eye and the choroids in the back of the eye - these are the pigmented parts of the eye that contain most of the eyes blood vessels.

In this study a toxin was injected into rats to cause uveitis. Immediately after the injection an Aronia Extract high in Anthocyanins or the corticosteroid prescription drug prednisolone was injected into the rats. After 24 hours the aqueous humor was collected from both eyes of each rat. The number of infiltrating inflammatory cells in the eye tissue of the rats supplemented with Aronia Berry Extract were significantly fewer than in untreated rats, and the greater the level of Aronia Berry extract used the greater was the level of eye protection. The higher potency of Aronia Berry Extract when injected (100mg) was as strong as the injected corticosteroid drug (10mg prednisolone - a very strong dosage for rats). The results show that Aronia Berry Extract polyphenols have an anti-inflammatory effect in the eye. The study is published in the January 2005 issue of the journal Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science.

Commentary by Jerry Hickey, R.Ph.

Do not just depend on medication to lower your cholesterol, focus on diet and nutrition and include plant sterol containing foods or plant sterol containing supplements as part of your daily healthy lifestyle.

White Tea Polyphenols ranks among the best natural chemopreventive agents

When the tea leaf is picked and fermented initially it becomes Green Tea and Green Tea is very high in powerful Catechin polyphenols, especially EGCG, that help inhibit the cancer process. Further fermentation of the tea leaves forms oolong and black tea, and the protective Catechins are oxidized during the process of making oolong and black tea and their concentration is greatly decreased. White Tea is made by combining the tea leaves with a high proportion of buds and then preparing the finished product quickly. Both White and Green Tea are very important for health because of their high Catechin content and the particular blend and balance unique to each.

In this study, researchers from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University wanted to compare the protective ability of White Tea Polyphenols. They found out it was very effective in preventing mutations on DNA (by using the Salmonella Test); the earliest steps in leading to cancer. In particular White Tea Polyphenols may be very beneficial in protecting from colon cancer. The study was presented at the 219th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.