Huntington’s Chorea is a devastating, progressive neurological disorder. It is an inherited disease that manifests in uncontrolled movements most of the time but can also result in muscular rigidity. The disorder commonly progresses to a state of dementia and finally death within 10 – 30 years of onset. The symptoms of the disease are usually not detected until age 35 at which point many people have already had children and possibly spread the gene.

New research out of Germany has reported promising results for the ability of EGCG (a primary antioxidant in green tea) to slow down the process by which mutant proteins are formed. These misformed proteins are believed to be toxic to normal nerve cells, causing the neurodegenerative effect.

Although this study was not done on human subjects, it is promising enough to warrant futher research. In the past year or so, we have heard about other studies reporting protective effects for Alzheimers and Parkinson’s, both of which are also neurodegenerative disorders. This shows a consistency in green tea’s ability to protect neurological cells which, in my opinion, gives these findings that much more strength.