Apple and green tea combo slows cancer progression
New findings suggest that daily consumption of apples and green tea may protect against the development of chronic conditions, such as heart disease and cancer. Scientists from the Institute of Food Research found that polyphenol compounds found in apples and green tea create a synergistic effect on the cell level. Low concentrations of the polyphenols epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) from green tea and procyanidin from apples were found to block a signaling molecule called VEGF. VEGF is the main driver of blood vessel formation called angiogenesis, which is crucial in cancer progression and is also reported to play a role in heart attacks and strokes. Researchers also found that polyphenol consumption turns on an enzyme that creates nitric oxide in the blood, which is responsible for widening and preventing blood vessel damage.