The investigation of the healthy properties of green tea is going on. Scientists keep finding new aspects of wholesomeness of this unique product. News came from Hong Kong to the effect that green tea can protect from such eye diseases as glaucoma and cataract. Thanks to scientific progress and the newest technologies researchers had already discovered that green tea contains antioxidants named catechins. They belong to the antioxidant family which includes vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, zeaxanthin. All these antioxidants are well-known for their protective properties. The strongest catechin is epigallocatechin; it is much stronger than vitamins E and C.
Now scientists found catechins in various eye tissue structures of laboratory rats after the rats had been given an extract of green tea. Though many researches had been conducted, so far nobody knew that catechins pass from the gaster and the digestive tract into the eye tissue. The study of cornea, crystalline lens, retina, vessels, sclera, vitreous body and eye liquid showed that these eye structures assimilated some quantities of several catechins. The time of maximum catechin concentration ranged from half an hour to twelve hours. Eye protection from harmful oxidative stress lasted up to twenty hours after the intake of green tea. Scientists are inspired with these results and will continue studying the effect of catechins on the eye tissue.