Resumen de Can green tea affect Down's traits?
People with Down's syndrome who take a green tea extract from infancy are less likely to develop the facial features of the condition. But researchers have warned that parents shouldn't give these supplements until a safe dose has been determined. Mara Dierssen at the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Spain and her colleagues have been investigating the effects of a compound in green tea called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which is known to inhibit DYRK1A. EGCG isn't an approved treatment yet, but some parents have already started giving it as a dietary supplement to children with Down's syndrome, prompted by studies that suggest it may have some cognitive benefits. The researchers recruited 13 such children, and compared their facial dimensions with children with Down's syndrome who weren't taking EGCG, as well as children without the condition. EGCG appeared to have little effect when children started taking it after the age of 3. But six of the seven children who began taking it before they turned 3 had facial dimensions that matched or closely resembled those of children without the condition.
