Pharmacology The Study Of Drugs And Their Reactions
Not to be confused with the profession of pharmacist is the science of pharmacology. The basic precepts of pharmacology is to study various compounds to discover how these substances react with a living organism and what changes are made in its function because of them. It is through the study of pharmacology that the drugs we develop as medicine are discovered and refined.
There are several aspects to pharmacology that all interact within the whole. The properties and composition of various drugs is an elementary function of this science. It includes the study of how these drugs interact with natural physiological functions as well as how they interrelate to other drugs. It encompasses the toxicology of chemicals and compounds and the effects these poisons have and how some can actually be used for beneficial purposes.
Drug therapy and medical applications of drugs is a further aspect of pharmacology. It is in this critical science that it is determined what use can be made of a chemical or herbal substance in the cure or prevention of illness or disease. Here is where dosages and combinations are tested to find the most effective use for the drugs that are produced.
There are times when it is unknown exactly how a drug works on the body to achieve the desired effect. However, many drugs are still approved because of their ability to work on a problem. Within the field of pharmacology it will still be studied so that when its pathology is finally discovered, new and better forms can be produced.
While pharmacology deals with the chemicals used to treat illness it is essential for the practitioner to have a very in-depth understanding of the body and how it works.
Through the increased understanding of biochemistry and cell biology it is possible to construct chemicals uniquely designed to affect specific neural transmitters or the chemical receptors on the cell's surface. These "designer" drugs can be very powerful at pinpointing one specific part of the body for treatment and prevent unwanted side effects from creating worse situations than the original disease.
Even one's genetic make-up can effect the performance of a medicinal drug and how it reacts to a specific body type. Pharmacogenetics is a growing subset of pharmacology which studies the variations in particular groups to determine how severe these fluctuations are and if there is some aspect of genetic science that can improve the overall usefulness for everyone.
With the new genome mapping techniques available pharmacology can now target specific genes in the DNA of an individual and develop individualized cures for more of the hereditary conditions that plague humanity.
Since most medical compounds are designed for specific effects it is possible that even a slight variance in the structure or dosage can create a different effect. Therefore pharmacology is heavily regulated. Development of new medicinal drugs can take years in the development and testing stages before it will be approved for use on human subjects. Most of pharmacology is research.
It has been noted that sometimes there will be only one new drug produced and approved out of thousands of chemicals tested. The process can take years to complete and it is for this reason the drug manufacturers will sometimes limit their research to only those areas that have a high demand or will obtain patents for exclusive production as a means to recoup the money spent on research.
Psycological case study on rape vicitims in Delhi and Bihar
Extended Essay (EE)
Swati Sugandh
Rape is not a simple crime. Worse than murder, it is scar the victim has to carry his or her's whole life. Defining rape is moreover not simple. The Oxford Dictionary defines rape as the crime, committed by a man, of forcing another person to have sexual intercourse with him without their consent and against their will, especially by the threat or use of violence against them. Rape is not only about physically damaging, it is emotionally traumatizing and more psychologically involved with a deep impact, that will be proved later in the cases dealt with below. Thus, that makes the whole yarn about rape even more complex.
Legally, its definition varies the world over, from countries having very lenient perspective on the crime to countries with exhaustive laws of all aspects of rape, to very strict laws. In some extreme cases, rape is meted out even as a punishment. For instance, in Pakistan, the Mukhtar Mai Case made headlines around the world in 2002. Mukhtar Mai’s adolescent brother was accused of sexually assaulting a young woman from another clan. A tribal council ordered that Mai be publicly gang-raped as punishment in order to shame her family. Moreover, historically rape has been used as a weapon of war. Rape seems to have been used differently by different social or cultural groups over time. Hence rape is viewed in multiple perspectives.
Referring to statistics, and focusing on the endless surveys, there is a very dangerous picture that gets etched. A particular survey indicated that at least thirteen per cent of females above the age of eighteen had been victim of at least one rape; not considering rape attempts at all. It is a huge social, cultural, and criminal stigma that has been there since mankind has been evolving.There are different patterns of rape that we will see in the cases studied below. Firstly, anger rape that is characterized by physical and verbal abuse, while the action is taking place and debasing the victim to take out the frustration in order to discharge the anger and using sex as a weapon. Secondly, power rape, Sex becomes a way to compensate for power rapist’s underlying feelings of inadequacy and feeds his concerns of capability, strength, authority and mastery. The power rapist relies upon verbal threats, intimidation with a weapon, and only uses the amount of force necessary to suppress his victim. Thirdly, sadistic rape, generally involves torture and self-possession. The victim's injuries will be primarily focused on the sexual areas of her body; there may be damage of these areas. In some cases, sexual gratification may not be the mail goal, or even an aspect of what the rapist wants. Sometimes it may be about showing dominance and control. Sometimes to just cause fear and suffering, or any other such analogy. The rapist uses some type of instrument or foreign object to penetrate his victim. That effectively means that nearly every eighth or seventh female has been a victim of at least one rape in her life.
India with all its diversity and vibrancy, different languages, different cultures, different social and cultural environments can help us find some answers we search to study what exactly leads to rape. Delhi the capital of India and Bihar a state of the Indian republic in the north of India are places where these incidents have found to be occurring in a lob-sided manner when compared to other parts of India. Delhi leading to be called the rape capital of India, while Bihar got the infamous name- Rapistan for the same reasons. Case studies from these two regions should therefore make for some interesting insights into our understanding of rape.
Delhi as the capital of India, over a predominantly Punjabi culture has a high influx of people from all over India, primarily from the northern states as people migrate towards better opportunities and living conditions. Delhi with rapid urbanization and growth, high rates of education and intense access to media resulting in a heavy western influence in schools, still has high rape rates that are increasing. The urban spaces of Delhi are not friendly to women at all.
According to the most recent National Crime Records Bureau annual report, Delhi has the highest crime rate of 357 percent amongst mega cities in 2006. The previous year figures show that Delhi is risky for women. It has the highest rate of crime against women, 33 percent rape cases, 23 percent molestation cases, is the highest for any metro city. But this does not find proof in Delhi. Delhi has high literacy rates. People here are highly aware. It has stronger government and less corruption. Up to ninety percent of the cases which happen every twenty four hours are solved and rapists prosecuted. Thus there in theory should be less of rapes. But a case contrary to this is in place. What could be a possible reason for all this could be as in the rape case explained earlier, high amount of sexual frustration in the youth culminating from the fact that, Delhi has a heavy western influence. This pours out itself in manners, one of which is rapes.
Bihar on the other hand now, is one of the most underdeveloped states in India. It is known for corruption, mis-governance and illiteracy which have successfully thwarted the state’s growth in terms of civil and economic growth, educational growth as well as cultural and social growth leading to high levels of stigma in society, high levels of backwardness and deep penetration of superstitious belief. One factor that speaks loudest about the state of affairs in Bihar is the huge divide in the literacy rates in the state between males and females, both being low as well. Another factor is the sex ratio which is the most skewed in the country. The sex ratio of 911 for the composite state, Bihar and 907 after the division (Bihar and Jharkhand) state, recorded in 1991, is much below the national sex ratio of 927. At the Census of India 2001, sex ratio of Bihar at 921 is still lower as compared to the national sex ratio which is 933.
By interviewing the rape victims themselves we get a greater sense of how women from diverse backgrounds seem to reflect similar psychological consequences of rape. And moreover understand the pain they went through which is sometimes forgotten when these incidents are overtaken by the media.
Being able to take an interview with a person who has gone through this ordeal is a daunting task in itself and questioning the victim is a much graver task. The incident itself has been a very depressing incident and asking the victim to relive the experience is something that should not be warranted off a victim. So questions to be asked have to be sensitive to the incident and take into account the victim’s background, not making the victim uncomfortable at any point of time.
The NGO which I found in Bihar was one which I selected was doing exceptional work at a very micro level, which I believed had maximum impact. It dealt with helping victims of rape to cope up with their drowned confidence of being a female figure, get back to leading a normal life and give them counseling and in some cases vocational skills to get over the trauma.
Through these NGOs I was able to meet three victims of rape incidents. These case studies are similar in that they were not reported to the police and remained at the level of NGO support. These cases are different in that we are dealing with women from different socio-economic backgrounds however there is a stark similarity in their psychological response to the rape. One was in Delhi, and the other two in Bihar. One of the two in rural Bihar and the other in Urban or by international standards semi-urban parts of Bihar, which is its capital Patna, located at the very center of the state. What is strange about these three incidents is that they are completely different in reason of the crime, the psychology behind them, and in many other factors.
Under directions of the NGOs I was only allowed to ask few questions after they went over the case study of the victim. I went through a lot of case studies in this regard. This process gave me one important realization, more than just rape, some of which are reported, there are a lot more cases of molestation, rape attempts and other atrocities on women and children across different places in India. The problem is much more deep spread and stronger than we can anticipate by our flow of knowledge which comes from the media.
One of the many cases I read through in Bihar was one of the most typical cases of rape in the region. This was a case where three ‘adivasi’ or tribal girls who worked as bonded labors were raped. This was in a rural part of Bihar where these three girls worked in a brick kiln in the Nalanda District, under imaginably bad conditions. These women through the day, under the heat of the sun or the blistering cold, they work long hours at very low pay. These women and children, who work here, live in nearby temporary huts and are offered very little amenities. Thus this all leads to there being no security, in any manner and living conditions below the poverty line.
The huts are 3'x6'x3' which is a used for all purposes like cooking, sleeping, etc. There are no doors. They have made up doors made from straws and wood to keep away dogs. There is no provision for a protection at this kiln. Anybody can enter and leave without any hindrance. There is even no arrangement for toilets or bathing places for any of these laborers. No basic needs are met. All of this results in girls going to the fields for toilet purposes and end up being teased by local boys. There is absolutely no privacy for bathing and being watched by boys roaming around. These women are constantly under threat of
ADHD: Commonly diagnosed disorder in children. Study links childhood deaths and stimulants
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD or ADHD) is a neuron behavioral developmental disorder. It is the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder in children affecting about 3 to 5% of children globally with symptoms starting before seven years of age. It is characterized by a persistent pattern of impulsiveness and inattention, with or without a component of hyperactivity. ADHD is diagnosed twice as frequently in boys as in girls, though studies suggest this discrepancy may be due to subjective bias. ADHD is generally a chronic disorder with 30 to 50% of those individuals diagnosed in childhood continuing to have symptoms into adulthood. As they mature, adolescents and adults with ADHD are likely to develop coping mechanisms to compensate for their impairment.
Though previously regarded as a childhood diagnosis, ADHD can continue throughout adulthood. Four percent of American adults are estimated to live with ADHD.
ADHD management typically involves some combination of medications, behavior modifications, life-style changes, or counseling.
The most common symptoms of ADHD are:
* Impulsiveness: acting before thinking of consequences, jumping from one activity to another, disorganization, tendency to interrupt other peoples’ conversations.
* Hyperactivity: restlessness, often characterized by an inability to sit still, fidgeting, squirm Ines, climbing on things, restless sleep.
* Inattention: easily distracted, day-dreaming, not finishing work, difficulty listening, and motor clumsiness.
ADHD and its diagnosis and treatment have been considered controversial since the 1970s. The controversies have involved clinicians, teachers, policymakers, parents and the media, with opinions regarding ADHD that range from not believing it exists at all to believing there are genetic and physiological bases for the condition and also include disagreement about the use of stimulant medications in the treatment. Most healthcare providers accept that ADHD is a genuine disorder with debate in the scientific community mainly around how it is diagnosed and treated.
According to a study published yesterday that was funded by the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute of Mental Health Children taking stimulant drugs such as Ritalin to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are several times as likely to suffer sudden, unexplained death as children who are not taking such drugs. The study’s lead author, Madelyn Gould, a professor in child psychiatry and epidemiology at Columbia University, said she agreed with the FDA’s advice.
Doctors have speculated about such a connection in the past because stimulants increase heart rate and have other cardiovascular effects. Physicians are currently advised to evaluate patients for cardiac risks before prescribing the drugs, and FDA officials said yesterday that those guidelines do not need strengthening in light of the recent study. About 2.5 million children in the United States take ADHD medications such as Ritalin and Adderall.
“This study reports a significant association or ’signal’ between sudden unexplained death and the use of stimulant medication, specifically methylphenidate,” the study researchers concluded, referring to the chemical name of Ritalin. “While the data have limitations that preclude a definitive conclusion, our findings draw attention to the potential risks of stimulant medications for children and adolescents.”
Since an experimental study comparing the risk of sudden death among children taking medications with those not taking medications would have had to include millions of children to generate a useful scientific result, Gould and a number of colleagues conducted what is known as a matched case-control study: They obtained information about 564 children in the United States who died suddenly and inexplicably between 1985 and 1996. The researchers evaluated how many of the children who died had been taking stimulant drugs by asking their parents and caregivers and by reviewing medical documents.
For every child who died suddenly and inexplicably, the researchers also found another child closely matched in terms of age, sex and other variables who died in a traffic accident. Taking a stimulant drug is unlikely to have played any role in a child getting killed in an accident. If stimulant drugs had nothing to do with sudden, unexplained death, then the number of victims on stimulant drugs who suffered such deaths and the number of victims on stimulant drugs who died in traffic accidents ought to have been about the same.
Gould found that 10 children in the group that suffered sudden, unexplained death had been taking stimulant drugs, whereas only two children in the group killed in traffic accidents were taking such medications.
Robert Temple, director of the Office of Drug Evaluation at the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research at the FDA, said that the study had been well conducted, but that he was concerned that not all parents may accurately recall whether children who died were taking stimulant drugs. When a child dies suddenly, he said, it is natural for a parent to pay close attention to all the medications the child was taking at the time and to report that to researchers. By contrast, he said, parents whose children die in traffic accidents may be less likely to note whether their children are taking medications — and less able to report it years later.
In an editorial accompanying the study, Benedetto Vitiello of the National Institute of Mental Health said that ADHD itself might have increased the risk for sudden, unexplained death. If that were the case, he said, it would explain why more children taking stimulant drugs found in the group that unexpectedly died than among the children who died in traffic accidents.
The researchers who conducted the peer-reviewed study acknowledged that its design precluded definitive answers, but they said that they had taken care to eliminate each of these potential confounders. They did not consider cases of sudden death in which children had asthma or cardiac abnormalities — conditions known to be associated with ADHD — because those factors might have independently raised the risk of sudden death. They also included one child who died in a traffic accident who seemed to have been abusing amphetamines, rather than taking an ADHD medication.
In a press briefing called on short notice yesterday, FDA officials said that given the seriousness of ADHD and the rarity of sudden death Which strikes fewer than 1 in 10,000 children ? the benefits of the drugs outweigh their risks. Agency officials urged parents to discuss concerns with doctors rather than deciding on their own to discontinue a child’s Medication.
Study Overseas- A Unique Experience Of A Life Time
Studying on a foreign soil, i.e study abroad is indeed a dream of many a students in here. But before considering the thought of studying abroad you must always encounter yourself with some questions regarding the study abroad country, its local cultures, if you can and surely will adapt to its cultural, climatic, professional environment. Because of the cost of education, tuition fees, expenses to bear and the difference in various prospect many a students shy away from carrying forward their dream of higher studies in foreign shores. Even if they clear confusions regarding these topics more confusion creeps in as which country to choose, kind of program like voluntary, internship, summer, language, semester etc .
Among the most popular study abroad Countries are study in UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Singapore, Switzerland Now if we start discussing about the merits and demerits of each city or country most probably I will finish up by the end of the current fiscal year.
There are various study abroad programs in UK, Canada, and Malaysia which offer scholarship for various programs. So being prepared ahead of applying will surely help the concerned student.
Overseas study abroad universities also provide accredited high quality academics, great program value, all-inclusive programs covering air-fares, meals, hostel facilities and much more.
Various study abroad colleges all over the world provide vast opportunities to be explored if you wish to be a part of it. Studying abroad is in itself a rich experience, a once in a lifetime opportunity. You could be granted the country’s citizenship and you would be a proud dual country citizen and a NRI and would be given more than enough opportunities in your own country if you wish to return. But the problem with student studying abroad is that, the students are often so engrossed in the country’s cultural and professional culture that they refuse to return to their own country resulting in BRAIN-DRAIN.
Some intensive training programs are offered in New York City, Dublin, and Paris. In New York City, students may study drama, dramatic writing, media, journalism, filmmaking, advanced genetics, research in particular field or photography.
Each program is an outgrowth of the professional training thus students are immersed in an enriching experience and gain a better understanding of the nature of a professional training program. On-site works, internships, part-time jobs and field trips represent the diverse cultural traditions in each university and encourage students to expand their creative expression.
For more information please visit: - http://studyabroad.infinitecourses.com/
A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON HEMATOLOGY AND SERUM BIOCHEMISTRY IN LACTATING COWS & THEIR CALVES
INTRODUCTION
Bangladesh is agro based country. Its economy is mostly depends on agriculture (BBS 2002). Livestock plays an important role in nutrition - directly through the consumption of animal products by livestock owners and their families; and indirectly through the sale of animals and animal products as a source of income (FAO report ,1999).
The genetic composition of animals in the production system determines the response of the system to the different inputs. Often, local livestock breeds do not produce at a high level as they have been selected for survival under difficult conditions, including under-nutrition and exposure to various diseases. In contrast, highly productive breeds are more susceptible to disease, thereby increasing the need for animal health measures. These animals often require a high level of nutrition to gain the production benefits (FAO report, 1999).
Many animals receive maintenance or below maintenance levels of nutrition resulting in low levels of production. Increasing the quantity of feed by reducing the number of animals does not provide a solution as the nutritional value of the available feed is low. The addition of a small amount of higher quality feed can have a large effect on production in this situation. In the case of milk production, the use of cattle with a small body size would result in reduced maintenance requirements of the animal, thus enabling more efficient use of available feed for milk production (FAO report, 1999).
When animals are fed a low quality rations and are not protected from disease, genetic traits for survival are more important than those for production. With an increase in nutrition and health, large gains are made in productivity. Improvements in production traits only become important once certain conditions in health and nutrition are met and production levels reached. These conditions vary between species. Livestock health is a limiting factor to production (FAO report, 1999).
Physiological equilibrium is maintained mainly by the blood in the body (Geneser, 1986).but many physiological conditions may alter this equilibrium. When thorough history and physical examination fail to yield a diagnosis in difficult cases, many practitioners turn to blood samples for a complete blood count and chemistry panel, hoping these tests will identify the problem (Navarre Christine, 2007).
Normal blood work can rule out some diseases. And if there are abnormalities, they might aid in establishing a prognosis and/or developing a therapeutic plan, even if a specific diagnosis is lacking (Navarre Christine, 2007).
The importance of hematobiochemical indices in animal husbandry is well acknowledged. Metabolic disturbance usually by inappropriate feeding without manifestation of clinical symptoms are important in animal husbandry and may cause insufficiently developed breeding cattle (Radostits et al., 2003).
The changes in hematological constituents are important indicators of the physiological or pathological state of the animal (Ahmed Ijaz et al., 2003).Blood examination is also performed for screening procedure to asses general health (Gutienez et al., 1971; Jain, N.C; Peinado,V.I. et al., 1993).
The complete blood count (CBC) is an important and powerful diagnostic tool as a component of a minimum database. It can be used to monitor response to therapy, to gage the severity of an illness or as a starting point for formulating a list of differential diagnosis. Interpretation of the (CBC) can be broken down into three sections: evaluation of the erythrocyte, leukocyte and platelets. Each of these parameters can be interpret individually: however , integration of the data is important for the highest diagnostic yield (Barger et al., 2003).
It is well known that variables such as breed, stage of growth, age, reproduction status and stage of lactation have an influence on many blood parameters (Doornenbal et al., 1988).
Hematological values such as total red blood cell count (Koubkova et al., 2002) packed cell volume (El-Nouty et al., 1990), Mean corpuscular volume, Mean corpuscular hemoglobin and Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and hemoglobin concentration (Kumar et al., 2000) and white blood cell (Gutienez-De Lar et al., 1971), i.e lymphocyte and Monocyte are indicated adaptability to adverse environmental condition. However, hematological values are used for indicating stress and welfare (Anderson et al., 1999). Determination of normal values for hematological and blood biochemical values are important for the clinical interpretation of laboratory data. These indices may vary depending on factors such as sex, age, weather, stress, season and physical exercise ( Kaneco et al.,1999).
Hence, the hematological values during different physiological situations should be known for the diagnosis of various pathological and metabolic disorders, which can adversely affect the productive and reproductive performance of cows, resulting in great economic losses to dairy farmers ( Pyne and Maria, 1981; Dutta et al., 1988 ).
There is less research work in Bangladesh on the hematological and biochemical profiling of cow and its calf.
Aim of the study:
To know the hematology and biochemical values in calf.
To compare the hematology and biochemical values of cow and calf.
To know the nutritional and disease status of animal.
MATERIALS and METHODS
Study Period
This study was conducted for a period of 17 days ( 26 , August-11 september,2009) in Metro Dairy Farm, Kulgaon, Hathazary, Chittagong.
Selection of Farm
Chittagong area is potential for dairy farm because of its high demand of fluid milk, suitable weather, feeds and fodder availability, available veterinary facilities from Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. So there is good communication with university and dairy farms as for giving various technical supports to the farms and for some research work also. Metro Dairy Farm was selected for conducting the study because of its suitable location, large population, satisfactory record keeping system, proper feeding and management and also for their kind cooperation.
Study population
Study population was 30 cross bred multiparous (HF X Local, Shahiwal X Local, HF x Shahiwal X Local.) lactating cows and their 30 calves. Cows were in different age and production status. Calves were also in different age and feeding stage.
Health status of animal
All animals involved in this study were clinically healthy and for ensure this clinical history was reviewed with the farm manager with the examination of physical condition. Their physiological status of cows were non pregnant lactating cow . Calves were mostly lives on milk and some are grass also.
General Management System of METRO DAIRY FARM
Housing System-The pattern of housing is both face -in and face-out system. There is different shed for different status of animal eg. milch cow shed, heifer shed, dry cow shed, pregnant cow shed and calf shed. In every shed there is individual cow distance, common allay, gutter etc. The floor is made of concrete. Surface of the floor is even and generally no bedding material is used. There is proper drainage facility and quick disposal of animal waste. Farm workers wash the floor three times daily and bath the cows once daily. There is both natural and artificial air flow and available light in every shed.
Feeding System- There are separate mangers for each of the cattle. Both roughage and concentrates are offered to them. The farmer grows German grass besides the farm area and have own cattle feed mil. Available green fodder is supplied from own fodder land and Concentrate from own feed mil called Metro Dairy Feed. Only straw is bought from other
Concentrate mixture contains- Rice polish,Wheat bran , Broken maize,Broken rice ,Tiloil cake,Mustard oil cake, coconut oil cake,Pulse husk, Molasses, salt,Toxin binder etc.The feeding schedule-Concentrate and straw is supplied at 10am, green fodder at 12am again concentrate at 6.30pm and straw at 7.30pm.
Calf Management- The calves are weaned and usually fed by pale feeding. Colostrums feeding is practiced by nipple drinker. They supply drinking water from underground water source. They supply concentrate according to thumb rule (3 kg for maintainance+50% of the milk production).
Production Management--The farm produces about 310 lit liters in the morning and about 110 liters at afternoon. The average daily yield of the farm is about 420 liters. The farmer practice hand milking. Before milking milker's hands and teat dipping is practiced buy potassium per manganate PPM (0.1%). They also practice dry cow therapy for drying the cows.
Breeding management--Most of the milkers detect heat of their cows during milking in the morning and AI usually done within 10-14hrs by AI technician. Usually AI is done 2 times per conception for each of the cows . Sometimes natural service is practiced by the farmers. Mostly they use HF semen. Generally they keep AI sheet as a breeding record which is provided by AI technician. AI technician or Veterinarian diagnose the pregnancy by rectal palpation.
Health Therapeutics and Preventive Management--There is a least prevalence of infectious diseases in the farm. When any symptom of sickness arises the farmer calls a veterinarian. Anthelmentic treatment and vaccination is regularly
Green Tea may help keep lung cancer at bay, new study suggests!
A recent medical study undertaken in Taiwan has found out that drinking a cup of green tea each day dramatically cuts the risk of developing lung cancer. This finding further bolsters the health credentials of this popular beverage, which is said to be effective in fighting a host of ailments ranging from heart disease to immune deficiency, to diabetes, liver disease, and yes, cancer.
A team headed by Dr. I-Hsin Lin, of Chung Shan Medical University in Taiwan studied the lifestyle habits of 170 people with lung cancer and 340 healthy patients. The participants were asked questions such as how much they smoked, how much green tea they drank, how much fruits and vegetables they eat, how they cook their food, and whether they have a family history of lung cancer.
Furthermore, the participants underwent genotyping on insulin-like growth factors: IGF1, IGF2, and IGFBP3, all of which have been thought to be related to risk for cancer.
The results of the medical study showed that both smokers and non-smokers who did not take green tea were 5 times more likely to develop lung cancer than those who drank at least one cup of green tea per day. Smokers who did not drink green tea at all were more than 12 times more likely to develop lung cancer than those who took at least one cup of the beverage per day.
In addition, it also showed that the protection from green tea appeared to be highest for those who carry certain genes. Smoking and non-smoking green tea drinkers carrying the non-susceptible IGF1 (CA)19/(CA)19 and (CA)19/X genotypes were found to be 66% less likely to develop lung cancer compared with those who also drank green tea but were carrying the IGF1 X/X genotype.
The team thus concludes that the antioxidants and polyphenol content in green tea and specific human genetic variations were together responsible for the probabilities of lung cancer risk in individuals.
The cancer-fighting properties of green tea have long been attributed to its rich content of polyphenols, notably a catechin called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which functions as a potent antioxidant. The EGCC catechin has been credited with its ability to restrict and prevent the growth of cancer cells.
Still, the Taiwanese team stressed the fact that lung cancer cannot be staved off solely by drinking large amounts of green tea. They reiterated that the best way to prevent lung cancer is still a conscious effort to eat healthy and to stay away from smoking.