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Home » Green tea extract shows promise for sleep-disordered breathing
The Facts:
- Green tea extract might have protective effects on the brain in people with sleep-disordered breathing, according to the results of a study in rats.
- The intermittent hypoxia (lack of oxygen) that occurs in sleep-disordered breathing can lead to impaired brain function.
- Rats fed catechin polyphenols extracted from green tea showed less cognitive impairment after long term intermittent hypoxia during sleep than untreated rats.
Dr Shaun Holt:
Sleep apnoea is a common condition where people miss breaths in their sleep, with pauses of at least 10 seconds between breaths. This causes a high degree of sleep disturbance and leaves the person extremely tired during the day. The most common treatment involves the use of a continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) device, which uses pressurised air to keep the breathing passages open. This animal study found benefits from green tea extracts in animals with laboratory-induced breathing problems, meaning that trials of green tea extracts for sleep apnoea are warranted.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1164/rccm.200701-110OC
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