Keeping T-cells on their toes
April 23 2003
By Tim Radford
The Guardian
Scientists at Harvard University have found a way to tune up the immune system and perhaps see off emerging cancer cells. The recipe: a small cup of tea, five times a day.
Jack Bukowksi, an immunologist at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, linked with Harvard Medical School, discovered the English breakfast route to health when he asked volunteers to take either five cups of black or fermented tea each day, or five cups of coffee.
Tea contains alkylamine antigens. These are also present in some bacteria, parasites, tumour cells and fungi. He tested the effects of these antigens on a human's first line of defence against infection, the gamma-delta T-cells of the immune system. Cells exposed to the antigen mounted a rousing defence against bacterial infection; cells not previously exposed showed no response.
Dr Bukowski then taught 11 volunteers to steep a Lipton's tea bag in freshly boiled water for five minutes. Lemon, sugar or cream were optional. Ten others were told to drink Nescafe, he reports in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
He then took blood samples. After two weeks, the tea drinkers' immune systems showed "an enhanced ability to produce disease-fighting chemicals". The same could not be said for coffee drinkers.
April 23 2003
By Tim Radford
The Guardian
Scientists at Harvard University have found a way to tune up the immune system and perhaps see off emerging cancer cells. The recipe: a small cup of tea, five times a day.
Jack Bukowksi, an immunologist at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, linked with Harvard Medical School, discovered the English breakfast route to health when he asked volunteers to take either five cups of black or fermented tea each day, or five cups of coffee.
Tea contains alkylamine antigens. These are also present in some bacteria, parasites, tumour cells and fungi. He tested the effects of these antigens on a human's first line of defence against infection, the gamma-delta T-cells of the immune system. Cells exposed to the antigen mounted a rousing defence against bacterial infection; cells not previously exposed showed no response.
Dr Bukowski then taught 11 volunteers to steep a Lipton's tea bag in freshly boiled water for five minutes. Lemon, sugar or cream were optional. Ten others were told to drink Nescafe, he reports in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
He then took blood samples. After two weeks, the tea drinkers' immune systems showed "an enhanced ability to produce disease-fighting chemicals". The same could not be said for coffee drinkers.
