With the rapid development of society, the concept of health care is more and more valued by people. The fast-paced work and life make young people who enter the society gradually realize the importance of health care, and more and more users of health care products tend to be younger. Among them, tea, which is known as a natural health care product, has entered the world of more young people.
There are many people who drink tea, but few people know tea. Today, Xiaobian will introduce a comrade who plays an important role in the cause of tea drinking health - tea polyphenols!
01 | The composition of tea polyphenols
Tea Polyphenols (Tea Polyphenols, also known as antioxidants, vitamins) is a beneficial substance that accounts for a relatively large proportion of tea connotation substances, it is a general term for polyphenols in tea, and it is also an important factor in the formation of tea health care, which is known as "radiation buster" by the medical community.
Tea polyphenols contain many substances, the main beneficial ingredients are: flavanols, anthocyanins, flavonoids, flavonols and phenolic acids.
Among them, flavanols (catechins), which are known as the soft gold of the human body, account for about 70% of the total amount of tea polyphenols, and theaflavins are the most important main force in the tea polyphenol health force.
02 | Changes and effects of tea polyphenols
Tea polyphenols are not static, in different types of tea, tea polyphenol content will vary according to the degree of fermentation. The deeper the degree of fermentation of tea leaves, the greater the number of tea polyphenols converted into other substances, and the content of tea polyphenols will be reduced accordingly.
Depending on the degree of fermentation, tea polyphenols can be converted into different substances. If the transformation of the most beneficial black tea, tea polyphenols will be converted into a large number of theaflavins after fermentation, which will improve the formation of theaflavins while eliminating the irritation of tea polyphenols, and add bricks and tiles to the "health power".
In addition to the types of tea leaves, the quality of tea leaves also affects the content of tea polyphenols. For example, when making tea leaves, the more tender the tea leaves, the higher the polyphenol content of the tea. Because the young leaves grow at the top, closest to the sun, they can fully photosynthesis and synthesize more tea polyphenols. Similarly, if they are used to make black tea, a large number of tea polyphenols can be converted into more theaflavins.
Tea polyphenols can not only play a health role, but also affect the taste and taste of tea. The more polyphenols in the tea, the heavier the astringency of the tea leaves. This is especially evident in unleavened green tea.
So why is the green tea before the Ming Dynasty not astringent at all? This is because spring tea contains a large amount of theanine, and the freshness brought by theanine masks the astringency of tea polyphenols. In the same way, when the theanine in the tea leaves is reduced in the summer, the astringency caused by the tea polyphenols will be revealed.
Not only that, tea polyphenols also have the effect of stimulating the secretion of gastric juice, therefore, friends who are not very good in the stomach will have stomach discomfort after drinking too much green tea.
Compared with black tea, the content of tea polyphenols is not so high. Under the action of oxidase, the enzymatic oxidation reaction of tea polyphenols will be converted into a large number of theaflavins, and the irritation of tea polyphenols to the stomach after the content is reduced.
Not only that, theaflavins can make the tea soup fresh and the color become golden and bright. In terms of health, the function of theaflavin is not reduced at all, and we can even say that most of the health benefits of tea polyphenols come from the influence of theaflavins.
03 | The health benefits of tea polyphenols
▼ Anti-aging
Tea polyphenols have strong antioxidant and physiological activity, are the body's free radical scavengers, can inhibit the lipoxygenase and lipid peroxidation in the mitochondrials of the skin, thus having an anti-aging effect. Studies have shown that the efficacy of 1 mg of tea polyphenols in scavenging excess free radicals harmful to the human body is equivalent to 9 micrograms of superoxide dismutase (SOD), which is much higher than that of other similar substances; the antioxidant resistance of tea polyphenols is significantly 18 times stronger than that of vitamin E, and has a synergistic effect with vitamins C and E.
▼ Tooth guard
Tea polyphenolic compounds can kill lactic acid bacteria and other carious bacteria present in the tooth gap, have the effect of inhibiting glucose polymerase activity, and effectively interrupt the process of caries formation. Protein foods that remain between the teeth become a matrix for the proliferation of spoilage bacteria, and tea polyphenols can kill such bacteria.
▼Prevention of cardiovascular disease
Tea polyphenols, especially the catechins ECG and EGC in tea polyphenols and their oxidation products theaflavins, help inhibit atherosclerotic plaque proliferation, reduce the formation of fibrinogen with enhanced blood coagulation viscosity, and become clear, thereby lowering blood lipids and preventing liver and coronary atherosclerosis.
▼ Reduces cancer risk
Tea polyphenols can scavenge harmful free radicals, block the lipid peroxidation process, improve the activity of enzymes in the human body, thereby playing an anti-mutation and anti-cancer effect. Research data show that the tea polyphenols (mainly catechin compounds) in tea are beneficial for the prevention and adjuvant treatment of gastric cancer, bowel cancer and other cancers.
▼Relieves allergies
Tea polyphenols can strongly inhibit the release of histamine, and experiments have proved that the anti-allergic reactions and anti-skin allergic reactions of tea polyphenols are 2 to 10 times stronger than the inhibitory effect of commonly used antiallergic drugs.
▼Radiation protection
Tea polyphenols and their oxidation products have excellent radiation resistance, can absorb radioactive substances, prevent their diffusion in the human body, known as natural ultraviolet filters.
Well, about the mystery of tea polyphenols, we will first talk about it here, and you have remembered it! Click on the collection for easy access at any time!