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Learn about tea polyphenols
2024-12-31
Learn about Tea Polyphenols
Tea polyphenols, also known as tea tannins or tea tannins, is a general term for polyphenols in tea. The components of tea polyphenols can be divided into flavanols, hydroxy-[4]-flavanols, anthocyanins, flavonoids, flavonols and phenolic acids. Among them, Catechins are the most important, accounting for about 60%-80% of the total polyphenols; catechins are mainly composed of several monomers such as EGC, DLC, EC, EGCG, GCG, ECG, etc.
Tea polyphenols are easily soluble in water and ethanol and taste bitter. After being extracted from tea leaves such as Fuding white tea, they are brown, light yellow or light yellow-green powder. Tea polyphenols are safe and non-toxic and stable at pH 4-8. They are easily deteriorated when exposed to strong alkali, strong acid, light, high heat and transition metals. The highest heat-resistant temperature can reach about 250°C within 1.5 hours, and they are easily decomposed under trivalent iron ions.
The content of tea polyphenols in teas such as Fuding white tea is generally 15%-20%. Among the components of tea polyphenols, flavanols are the main components, and catechins are the main components of flavanols. The content of catechins accounts for about 70% of the total tea polyphenols.
The traditional methods for preparing tea polyphenols from tea leaves mainly include solvent extraction, column separation preparation and supercritical CO2 extraction technology. These methods have their own advantages and disadvantages, but they all aim to extract high-purity tea polyphenols. The extraction rate of tea polyphenols is generally 5%~10%, and the product purity is 80%~98%. The current industrial production mainly uses solvent extraction.
As a natural antioxidant, tea polyphenols are widely used in food preservation, medicine and Chinese patent medicine manufacturing. It can be used to preserve high-fat foods such as cakes and dairy products, prevent food fading, inhibit and kill bacteria, improve food hygiene standards, and extend the shelf life of food.
What is the anti-aging mechanism of tea polyphenols?
The anti-aging mechanism of tea polyphenols is closely related to its antioxidant effect. At the cellular level, tea polyphenols can scavenge free radicals, reduce lipid peroxidation, and protect the integrity of cell membranes. At the molecular level, tea polyphenols can inhibit DNA damage and protein oxidation, and maintain the stability of the genome. In addition, tea polyphenols can promote collagen synthesis, enhance skin elasticity, and improve skin conditions. Therefore, the anti-aging mechanism of tea polyphenols mainly includes scavenging free radicals, inhibiting lipid peroxidation, protecting cell membranes, inhibiting DNA damage, and promoting collagen synthesis.
What are the benefits of tea polyphenols?
Anti-aging
Tea polyphenols have strong antioxidant and physiological activity and are scavengers of free radicals in the human body. It can inhibit lipoxygenase and lipid peroxidation in the skin mitochondria, thus having an anti-aging effect. In addition, the anti-aging effect of tea polyphenols is 18 times stronger than vitamin E.
Antibacterial
Tea polyphenols have antibacterial effects and can inhibit a variety of pathogenic bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus, Proteus vulgaris, etc., thereby enhancing the body's immunity.
Improve body immunity
Tea polyphenols can increase the activity of immunoglobulins in the human body, significantly improve the body's immune function, and at the same time eliminate a variety of bacteria, viruses and pathogens in the human body, reducing the occurrence of a variety of common diseases.
Beauty
Tea polyphenols are water-soluble substances. Washing your face with it can remove greasiness from the face, tighten pores, and has the effects of disinfection, sterilization, anti-skin aging, and reducing the damage to the skin caused by ultraviolet radiation in sunlight.
Allergy relief
Tea polyphenols can strongly inhibit the release of histamine. Experiments have shown that its anti-allergic and anti-skin allergic effects are 2 to 10 times stronger than the currently commonly used antiallergic drugs.
Detoxification
Tea polyphenols have a strong adsorption effect on heavy metals, and can form complexes with heavy metals to produce precipitation, which is beneficial to reduce the toxic effects of heavy metals on the human body. In addition, tea polyphenols also have the effects of improving liver function and diuresis, and have a good anti-decomposition effect on alkaloid poisoning.
Digestion aid
The caffeine in tea polyphenols can increase the secretion of gastric juice, help digestion, and enhance the ability to decompose fat. This is why "long-term consumption makes people thin".
Tooth protection
Tea polyphenol compounds can kill lactic acid bacteria and other caries bacteria in the gaps between teeth, and have the effect of inhibiting the activity of glucose polymerase, effectively interrupting the process of caries formation. In addition, tea polyphenols can also kill protein foods remaining in the gaps between teeth and become a matrix for the proliferation of corrupt bacteria.
How do tea polyphenols help detoxification?
1. Absorb heavy metals, form complexes and produce precipitation, reducing the toxicity of heavy metals to the human body;
2. Improve liver function and diuresis, and have an anti-alkaloid poisoning effect;
3. Increase gastric juice secretion, help digestion, and enhance the ability to decompose fat;
4. It has antioxidant and physiological activity, and is a substance that removes free radicals in the human body;
5. Inhibit the release of histamine, fight allergic reactions and skin allergies;
6. Kill caries-causing bacteria in the teeth and interrupt the process of caries formation.
What can tea polyphenols be used for?
Food field
Due to its high antioxidant properties, tea polyphenols are widely used as natural antioxidants in oils, meat products, aquatic products, fruit and vegetable foods, cakes, candies and other foods to replace synthetic antioxidants.
Tea polyphenols can effectively inhibit bacterial growth, slow down fat oxidation, and delay spoilage, thereby extending the shelf life of meat products and aquatic products. In addition, it can also be used to preserve fruits and vegetables. By spraying or coating on the surface of fresh fruits and vegetables, it can inhibit bacterial growth and extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
Tea polyphenols have broad application prospects in the development of functional foods. Due to its rich antioxidants and multiple biological activities, it can be used to develop foods with health functions.
Daily chemical products
Skin care products Tea polyphenols have antibacterial and antioxidant effects and can be used in skin care products, such as skin care products, facial masks, etc., which can help reduce the formation of skin melanin and remove freckles and age spots.
Sunscreen products Tea polyphenols can also be used as UV filters and added to sunscreen products to protect the skin from UV damage.
Medical field
Antioxidant and anti-aging Tea polyphenols have antioxidant effects, can remove free radicals in the body, protect cells from oxidative damage, help anti-aging and prevent some chronic diseases.
Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory Tea polyphenols also have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, and can be used to treat skin diseases and other inflammatory diseases.