A recent study conducted by researchers from Chongqing Medical University in China showed that some compounds found in tea protect against the most common cardiovascular disorders in the elderly. The results of the study were published in the journal Genes and Diseases on December 12, and the EurekAlert website wrote about it.
Diastolic heart dysfunction
Your heart beats about 100,000 times every day, and the different chambers of the heart contribute to this process. The heart contains 4 chambers, the upper two chambers are called the atria, which receive blood flowing to the heart, and the two lower chambers are called the ventricles, which pump blood out of the heart. After the atria pump blood into the ventricles, the valves between the atria and ventricles close to prevent backflow. The ventricles then contract to pump blood away from the heart to the rest of the body.
The lower chambers of the heart normally relax between beats, and fill with blood flowing into them during diastole. Diastolic dysfunction occurs when the lower chambers of the heart do not relax as they should, that is, they stiffen and impair the ability of their muscles to relax. Over time, this dysfunction can lead to diastolic heart failure, which means the ventricles are unable to fill adequately with blood.
Aging is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Diastolic dysfunction, which eventually leads to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, is common among the elderly. Ejection fraction expresses how well your heart can pump blood. Despite great progress in treatments, preventive strategies have not met the medical needs.
The future treatment may be in green tea
Studies conducted on laboratory animals and patients have proven that catechins found in green tea have an effective effect in improving cardiac disorders associated with aging.
Catechins – a type of compound found in berries, tea and cocoa – are among the most important antioxidants that can be consumed. However, little attention has been paid to whether long-term intake of the main bioactive component of green tea catechins, epigallocatechin gallate, can prevent or slow the progression of diastolic dysfunction.
What do catechins do in the body?
To determine the effect of catechins on diastolic dysfunction of the heart, the researchers in this study gave female heart diseased mice oral different doses of epigallocatechin gallate mixed with drinking water for 6 months.
Long-term administration of 100 and 200 mg doses of epigallocatechin gallate prevented age-related cardiac diastolic dysfunction and decreased exercise capacity, as well as reducing cardiomyocyte death and mitochondrial damage.
Different brands contain different amounts of catechins, and the amount of epigallocatechin gallate in a cup containing 235 milliliters of green tea ranges between 20-50 milligrams. But people should be aware of the amount of caffeine and other ingredients in the brand they choose.
This study does not mean that green tea is a cure for heart disease or that you should drink large quantities of it, but rather it means that it can be used in treatment in the future. If you have a heart condition and want to know whether green tea can help you, ask your doctor first.