Antigenotoxic Potential of Tea

Abstract

The practice of disease prevention is the most effective means for improving human health. Therefore, different approaches have been actively used, e.g. sanitation, vaccination and life style modifications. With increased awareness of our environment it becomes clear that environmental mutagens and carcinogens (e.g. automobile exhaust, food borne carcinogens, cigarette smoke, radiation etc.) can cause a variety of genetic disorders including cancer. Two general studies have been suggested to cope up with this problem: 1) reducing the exposure of an individual to known mutagen as much as possible and 2) taking advantage of the inhibitors of mutagenesis with the final purpose of their eventual application as antigenotoxic agents. Since exposure to the environmental mutagens is often unavoidable, the latter field has been widely explored with the several components of the diet. The advent of natural products as chemotherapeutic agents against human ill health effects attributable to mutations is the most valid approach due to their relative low cost and nontoxic effects.