Can black tea prevent lung damage caused by smoking?
It is well known that cigarette smoking is a major cause of lung damage with one of the proposed mechanisms involving the effect of cigarette smoke on oxidative stress. Oxidative stress results when an abundance of unstable molecules called free radicals, or oxidants, roam around the body. Smoking loads the body with millions of free radicals every time smoke is inhaled. In an attempt to stabilise themselves these free radicals attack healthy cells. This can result in cell death (apoptosis) and if this happens in the lung, subsequent lung injury. Antioxidants can help mop up these free radicals and neutralise them, so potentially preventing cell damage from occurring. As black tea has antioxidant properties the effect of black tea on cigarette smoke induced apoptosis and lung injury was examined in a guinea pig model. Guinea pigs were exposed to cigarette smoke from 5 cigarettes a day for seven days and given either water or black tea to drink. This exposure to cigarette smoking result
