The work is published in the journal Scientific Reports. In 2016, the authoritative magazine The Lancet Neurology presented the results of the study that green tea is useful to people with Down syndrome - it can improve their mental state. For example, the ability to memorize some behavior schemes or adapt to a particular situation. Interestingly, such cognitive improvements have been observed six months after passing a year-old course of consuming green tea extract. This effect is associated with a substance that is contained in green tea - epigalocatehin-3 gamut.
A new study of scientists from the universities of Central Florida (USA) and Barcelona, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (Spain) and the Center for Molecular Visualization of Small Animals (Belgium) showed that green tea extract is also able to influence the pathological change in the person in children with Down syndrome . But it is advisable to include in a diet only under three years - after this age the extract will not bring the expected results.
At the same time, the high concentration of epigallocatechin-3-gamut may harm and, on the contrary, disrupt the development of bones and face. The first part of the study was carried out on mice, the second - on children having Down syndrome or without a similar diagnosis. In work on the "therapy" mice, green tea began even before the birth of a young: high doses of tea extract were added to the drinking water, then they were mice. As a result, 60 percent of born young with Down syndrome had the same or almost the same shape of the muzzle as in healthy mice from the control group.
With high concentrations of green tea extract, the results were not so unequivocal - in some cases the face form, on the contrary, was distorted. And not only young with Down syndrome, but also in healthy mice. The second part of the study was attended by 287 children aged from zero to 18 years, including guys with Down syndrome and healthy. Before starting the work of all children, photographed at different angles and measured the parameters of their individuals.
As a result of the study, it was possible to ensure that patients with children who received adequate doses of green tea extract from zero to three years have changed their face features, becoming more similar to those in healthy guys. A similar effect, alas, was not observed in the group of adolescents. This is due to the fact that up to three years are laid the main features of the face and the skull grows very quickly, and then his growth slows down.
Despite inspiring results, scientists urge to relate to them with caution, since only preliminary research was carried out. They emphasize that additional work is needed to assess the influence of the addition of green tea on the body of young children. In addition, it is necessary to determine the optimal dose for children not to cause the opposite effect.
Source: Naked Science