Tea is one of the oldest and most popular drinks in the world. Some consume it for taste or social experience, while others drink it because they have been told that a specific variety of tea will help them to treat a specific disease. Several studies have already shown health benefits, including the fact that tea can help reduce high blood pressure and the risk of heart disease. But a team of researchers has already proven how a component of tea works at the cellular level to lower blood pressure. The discovery may impact therapies for hypertension in the future, a health problem that affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
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Scientists at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) partnered with researchers at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and published their findings in Cell Physiology and Biochemistry. According to the new research, two antioxidants in tea called catechins can open a protein channel in the membranes of smooth muscle cells that line blood vessels. The channel allows positively charged potassium ions to leave the cells, which leads to blood vessel dilation. As a result, blood pressure is reduced.
Catechins are responsible for the activation of a potassium ion channel called KCNQ5. These channels that allow the passage of ions are present in the nerves and muscles. This type of electrical exchange allows information to pass between the brain and the rest of the body and directly impacts the muscle’s contraction-relaxation process.
The researchers used computer models and mutant versions of the channel protein to prove that catechins bind to a section that detects voltage changes. The ion channels are voltage dependent and open or close based on electrical charges.
“This connection allows the channel to open much more easily and earlier in the process of cellular excitation,” said Professor Geoffrey Abbott of UCI School of Medicine. Medical News Today. Muscle cells would become less excitable and less likely to contract. It is this phenomenon that allows blood vessels to dilate and lower blood pressure.
The authors used mice to test the theory. They measured changes in tension in the artery walls and confirmed that catechins activate the KCNQ5 channel and reduce blood pressure.
This new study also explains that adding milk to tea does not reduce the effect of these antioxidants on blood pressure. The stomach will separate the chemical components of the drink and the catechins will be released to exert their effect on the body. The researchers found that milk tea may fail to activate KCNQ5 channels in laboratory tests. But this is not the same as a person who drinks tea with milk.
The researchers also addressed iced tea. Activation of KCNQ5 is increased at 35 ° C (95 ° F). But that temperature is reached after the tea is ingested, regardless of how it is consumed. The human body operates at about 37 ° C (98.6 ° F), so antioxidants would operate at the ideal temperature.
Drinking tea more often can also help control blood pressure. However, more research is needed to establish new treatment protocols around tea consumption. People suffering from hypertension use a combination of medications to keep their blood pressure under control.
The benefits of catechin molecules may not be limited to blood pressure. They can also cross the blood-brain barrier and directly affect a condition called epileptic encephalopathy. Antioxidants would bind to the same KCNQ5 channel. People who suffer from the disorder may develop seizures because the channel protein does not respond effectively to changes in voltage.
The full study is available at this link.
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Chris Smith started writing about gadgets as a hobby and, before he knew it, was sharing his views on technology with readers around the world. Whenever he’s not writing about gadgets, he fails miserably to stay away from them, although he tries desperately. But this is not necessarily a bad thing.