A chemical compound in human saliva, along with the common proteins in the body's blood and muscle, protects cells from the powerful toxins found in tea, coffee and liquid smoke flavoring, according to a study led by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.The findings, reported in Food and Chemical Toxicology, suggest that people naturally launch multiple defenses against plant chemicals called pyrogallol-like polyphenols or PLPs found in teas, coffees and liquid smoke flavoring. The presence of these defenses help explain why PLPs are not crippling cells and causing illness as would be expected from their toxic punch and widespread use.
Johns Hopkins investigator Scott Kern, M.D., and his colleagues previously demonstrated that PLPs found in everyday foods and flavorings could do 20 times the damage of chemotherapy drugs delivered to cancer patients. The researchers sought to find out why there wasn't more damage, and subsequently looked for ways that cells might be fighting back.
"If these chemicals are so widespread--they're in flavorings, tea, coffee -- and they damage DNA to such a high degree, we thought there must be defense mechanisms that protect us on a daily basis from plants we choose to eat," Kern said.
Sources:
Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center Office of Public Affairs
Food and Chemical Toxicology
Artwork: Death Wish Coffee
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