Dietary flavonoid intake is reported to be inversely associated with
incidence of coronary artery disease
Catechins and theaflavins are the two main groups of flavonoids found
in teas. Most people in China and Japan drink large quantities of green
tea, which may explain the fact that mortality rates from coronary artery
disease are much lower in those countries than in the West, despite
the high rates of cigarette smoking. This study investigated the effects
of tea flavonoids on susceptibility of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
to oxidative modification. In vitro studies showed that catechins significantly
and dose-dependently extended the pre-oxidation time; theaflavins exerted
an even stronger effect. Results from the in vivo portion of this study
showed that after 4 weeks of black tea consumption, lag time before
LDL oxidation was significantly prolonged. These workers concluded that
tea flavonoids may assist in ameliorating atherosclerosis.
Ishikawa T, Suzukawa M, Ito T, et al. Effect of tea flavonoid
supplementation on the susceptibility of low-density lipoprotein
to oxidative modification. Am J Clin Nutr 1997; 66:261-266.
Tea (Camellia sinensis) flavonoids
may assist in prevention of coronary artery disease |
