Which tea is high in polyphenols?

What Is Tea Polyphenol?

Tea is recognized as one of the three major natural plant beverages in the world, followed by coffee and cocoa. Tea polyphenols (TP) are the key substance in the taste of tea and the main active ingredient in tea. Tea polyphenols account for 18% to 36% of the dry weight of tea and are a relatively large beneficial substance in the content of tea. It is a mixture of various organic polyhydroxy compounds, including catechins, anthocyanins, flavonols and phenolic acids, and the main antioxidant component is catechins.

Changes And Influences Of Tea Polyphenols

Tea polyphenols are not static. In different types of tea, the content of tea polyphenols will change to a certain extent due to the degree of fermentation. The deeper the degree of tea fermentation, the more tea polyphenols are converted into other substances, and the content of tea polyphenols will decrease accordingly.

Depending on the degree of fermentation, tea polyphenols can be converted into different substances. For example, in black tea, which benefits the most from the conversion, tea polyphenols will be converted into a large amount of theaflavins after fermentation, which will eliminate the irritation of tea polyphenols and increase the formation of theaflavins, adding bricks and tiles to the "health power".

In addition to the type of tea, the quality of tea will also affect the content of tea polyphenols. For example, when making tea, the tenderer the tea leaves, the higher the tea polyphenol content. Because the tender leaves grow at the top, closest to the sunlight, they can fully carry out photosynthesis and synthesize more tea polyphenols. Similarly, if they are used to make black tea, a large base of tea polyphenols can be converted into more theaflavins.

Tea polyphenols can not only play a health role, but also affect the taste and flavor of tea. The more tea polyphenols there are, the heavier the astringency of the tea. This is particularly evident in unfermented green tea.

So why is the green tea before the Qingming Festival 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. Similarly, when theanine in tea leaves decreases in summer, the astringency brought by tea polyphenols will become apparent.

Not only that, tea polyphenols also stimulate the secretion of gastric juice. Therefore, friends with poor stomachs will experience stomach discomfort after drinking too much green tea.

Compared with black tea, the content of tea polyphenols is not that high. Under the action of oxidase, tea polyphenols will undergo enzymatic oxidation reactions and be converted into a large amount of theaflavins. After the content of tea polyphenols is reduced, the irritation to the stomach will be reduced accordingly.

Not only that, theaflavins can make the tea soup fresh and the color becomes golden and bright. In terms of health preservation, the function of theaflavins is not reduced at all. We can even say that most of the health preservation effects of tea polyphenols come from the influence of theaflavins.

What Are The Functions Of Tea Polyphenol?

1.Antioxidant effect

Tea polyphenols have strong antioxidant activity, which can effectively reduce the content of free radicals and inhibit lipid peroxidation. Studies have found that the antioxidant capacity of tea polyphenols is 3 to 10 times that of vitamin C and 3 to 9 times that of vitamin E. Tea polyphenols can help neutralize free radicals and reduce the damage of oxidative stress to the body. Oxidative stress is a common factor in many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, brain damage and aging. By taking tea polyphenols, the body's antioxidant capacity can be increased, and cells can be protected from oxidative damage, which helps maintain the health of the body.

2.Anti-inflammatory effect

Tea polyphenols can reduce the spread of inflammatory reactions in the body. In recent years, studies on the role of liver tissue inflammatory reactions in the mechanism of obesity have found that tea polyphenols can reduce the production of inflammatory-related cytokines, thereby inhibiting and reducing inflammation, and have a good effect on general inflammation (such as colitis, etc.). In addition, tea polyphenols can also inhibit adipocyte differentiation and improve insulin resistance.

3.Cardiovascular protection effect

Tea polyphenols can regulate cholesterol and lipid metabolism and reduce serum levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol. In addition, tea polyphenols can also inhibit inflammatory reactions and reduce inflammatory cell infiltration in blood vessels, thus helping to maintain endothelial function and vascular elasticity.

When blood lipid regulation in the human body is disordered, fat deposits on the inner wall of blood vessels and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells will form atherosclerotic plaques and other cardiovascular diseases. Tea polyphenols, especially catechins and their oxidation products in tea polyphenols, can effectively inhibit the proliferation of atherosclerotic plaques and reduce the formation of fibrinogen that increases blood viscosity, thereby inhibiting atherosclerosis.

What Is The Application Of Tea Polyphenol?

Tea polyphenols are mainly used in the food industry, daily necessities industry and pharmaceutical industry.

The antioxidant effect of tea polyphenols can be applied to meat processing, oil storage, baked food, dairy products, fried food production and various beverages; tea polyphenols are good food preservatives, which can slow down the biochemical activity of fruits and vegetables after picking and delay their ripening period; tea polyphenols have strong reducing properties, which can prevent natural pigments (such as carotene, chlorophyll, safflower yellow, vitamin B2 and carmine, etc.) from fading due to photooxidation; chewing gum containing tea polyphenols has a deodorizing power 10 times higher than that of ordinary chewing gum, and has a good effect on eliminating physiological bad breath.

Tea polyphenols can prevent and treat skin diseases, skin allergies, caries and periodontitis, etc.; it can also resist the damage of sunlight to the skin. Therefore, tea polyphenols can be used as an excellent additive for cosmetics and daily necessities, as an antioxidant, anti-wrinkle agent, sunscreen, radiation protection agent and skin whitening agent, etc.

Tea polyphenols can lower blood pressure, resist blood coagulation, lower blood lipids, prevent and treat arteriosclerosis and thrombosis, etc.; they can also lower blood sugar, kill bacteria and fight viruses; prevent and treat gastrointestinal, respiratory, influenza and other diseases; resist aging and enhance immune function. Therefore, tea polyphenols can be used as auxiliary medicines and health products.