GREEN TEA CATECHINS FOUND TO BENEFIT SKIN FOLLOWING UV DAMAGE

Scientists from the UK have discovered that green tea compounds called catechins may help protect the skin against sunburn and the long-term effects of UV damage. The study was performed on 14 healthy human subjects with fair skin and involved taking green tea catechin supplements for 12 weeks. The dose was roughly equivalent to two cups of green tea. The effects of the supplements were tested before and after supplementation by exposing buttock skin to UV rays and quantifying the level of sunburn. The results demonstrate that catechins may contribute to skin protection against sunburn inflammation and potentially longer-term damage caused by UV rays, and may therefore be a complement for sunscreen.


FARMERS IN OREGON ATTEMPT TO MARKET LOCALLY HARVESTED TEA

Minto Island Growers, a small-scale farm cultivating and selling vegetables and plants, is ready to take on a rather unconventional challenge: tea production. The first step was to identify which varieties of tea bushes were most suitable for the local climate, a process that took over twenty years. Now that the farm has a half-acre dedicated to tea, its sights are set on the next stage: harvesting and processing the leaves on-site on a larger scale. The company has already reported a high level of interest from nearby tea bars, food stores and tea companies, all thirsty for home-grown produce. Despite mixed assessments from horticulturalists, Minto Island Growers will devote more land to this project in 2013, with additional two to three acres allocated to tea plants. The growers also applied for a federal grant to help cover the costs of processing, packaging and marketing their tea. They remain upbeat about their prospects based on positive feedback from their customer base.