|
|
The Role of Tea in Human
Health: An Update
Diane
L. McKay, PhD and Jeffrey B. Blumberg, PhD, FACN
Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center
on Aging Tufts University. Address correspondence to: Dr. Jeffrey Blumberg,
Antioxidants Research Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition, Research
Center on Aging, Tufts University, 711 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111.
E-mail: blumberg@hnrc.tufts.edu.
Tea is an important dietary source of flavanols and flavonols.
In
vitro and animal studies provide strong evidence that tea polyphenols
may possess the bioactivity to affect the pathogenesis of several
chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular disease and cancer.
However, the results from epidemiological and clinical studies of the
relationship between tea and health are mixed.
International
correlations do not support this relationship although several,
better controlled case-referent and cohort studies suggest an
association with a moderate reduction in the risk of chronic disease.
Conflicting results between human studies may arise, in part, from
confounding by socioeconomic and lifestyle factors as well as by
inadequate methodology to define tea preparation and intake.
Clinical
trials employing putative intermediary indicators of disease,
particularly biomarkers of oxidative stress status, suggest tea
polyphenols could play a role in the pathogenesis of cancer
and heart disease.
Key
words: tea,
flavonoids, cardiovascular disease, cancer,
bone health, oral health, thermogenesis, iron status, cognitive function, kidney
stones
Copyright
© 2002 by the American College of Nutrition.
|
