"Green tea may be useful in controlling inflammation from injury or diseases such as arthritis."

Tea contains compounds that may help reduce inflammation and help arthritis.   Scientists at Case Western University in Cleveland took two groups of mice and gave them injections of a substance that causes immune reactions similar to those due to rheumatoid arthritis. One group had regular water to drink and the other got water laced with  polyphenols, chemicals found in green tea and, to a lesser extent in black tea. Nearly all the mice that drank regular water got arthritis-like symptoms, compared to less than half of the treated mice.

Boston Globe, April 26, 99