A recent study conducted by researchers from Chongqing Medical University in China has shown that certain compounds found in tea protect against cardiovascular disorders, which are more common in older adults. The study's findings were published in the journal Genes and Disease on December 12, and were reported on by EurekAlert.
diastolic dysfunction of the heart
Your heart beats about 100,000 times each day, and the different chambers of the heart contribute to this process. The heart has four chambers. The upper two chambers, called atria, receive blood flowing into the heart. The lower two chambers, called ventricles, pump blood out of the heart. After the atria pump blood into the ventricles, valves between the atria and ventricles close to prevent backward flow. 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 don't relax properly; they stiffen and their muscles become less able to relax. Over time, this dysfunction can lead to diastolic heart failure, which means the ventricles are unable to fill with blood adequately.
Aging is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Diastolic dysfunction, which eventually leads to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), is common among older adults. HFpEF measures how well your heart pumps blood. Despite significant advances in treatment, preventive strategies have not met the medical needs.
The future treatment may be in green tea.
Studies conducted on laboratory animals and patients have shown that the catechin compounds found in green tea have an effective effect in improving heart disorders associated with aging.
Catechins—a type of compound found in berries, tea, and cocoa—are among the most important antioxidants available. However, little attention has been paid to whether long-term consumption 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 investigate the effect of catechins on cardiac diastolic dysfunction, researchers in this study administered different oral doses of EGCG mixed in their drinking water to female rats with heart disease for 6 months.
Long-term administration of 100 and 200 mg EGCG prevented aging-related cardiac diastolic dysfunction and decreased exercise capacity, while reducing cardiomyocyte death and mitochondrial damage.
Different brands contain varying amounts of catechins, with the amount of EGCG in a 235-ml cup of green tea ranging from 20 to 50 milligrams. However, people should be aware of the amount of caffeine and other ingredients in the brand they choose.
This study doesn't mean that green tea is a cure for heart disease or that you should drink large amounts of it. Rather, it suggests that it could be used as a treatment in the future. If you have a heart condition and want to know if green tea can help you, ask your doctor first.
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