Potentially, vitamin C can benefit skin in two important ways. Firstly, vitamin C is essential for the synthesis of collagen, a key structural protein of the skin. Adding vitamin C to a culture of skin cells (fibroblasts) dramatically increases the synthesis of collagen. Secondly, vitamin C is an antioxidant and can help reduce skin damage caused by free radicals. So, when vitamin C is properly delivered into skin cells, there is a good chance to reduce wrinkles and improve skin texture.

Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin that exists in three major chemical forms: pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine. It performs a wide variety of functions in your body and is essential for your good health and hair growth. For example, vitamin B6 is needed for more than 100 enzymes involved in protein metabolism. It is also essential for red blood cell metabolism. The nervous and immune systems need vitamin B6 to function efficiently, and it is also needed for the conversion of tryptophan to niacin.

Original here: http://www.green-tea.com/articles/10/1/Green-tea-deters-food-poisoning

It has long been known from experience that green tea has the ability to kill bacteria. Consumption of strong green tea, for example, is often recommended as a good treatment for diarrhea.

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Dr. Hara(#1) has shown in his research that catechin is a powerful sterilizing agent for many types of bacteria that cause food poisoning. He checked the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC, ppm) of green tea catechin necessary to stop the growth of various types of food poisoning bacteria and found that

• Staphylococcus aureus,
• Vibrio parahaemolyticus
• Clostridium peifringens
• Bacillus cereus
• Plesiomonas shigelloides
• Aeromonas sobria and
• Clostridium botulinum

cannot grow in the 1/10 1/2 of 0.1% of catechin in the green tea normally drunk by the Japanese people. But even fairly high concentrations of catechin had no negative effect on the bifidtcs bacillus, which is necessary for proper functioning of the intestinal tract. In addition to this evidence, Prof. Shimamura(#2) has reported that green tea is a very strong sterilant of cholera vibrio and has a strong antitoxic effect on toxins produced by bacteria other than cholera.

These results indicate the antibacterial function of green tea catechin and suggest that it may be effective in preventing food poisoning. Every year throughout the world there are countless incidents of food poisoning.

Wouldn't it been a good idea, given these facts, to enjoy one's meals with several cups of green tea?

(#1) Y. Hara and T. Ishigami, Nippon Shokuhin Kogyo Gakkaishi, 36, 996 (1989).

(#2) T. Shimamura et al.. Jpn. f.Bacteriol., 44, 669 (1989).