Inexperienced tea has lengthy been stated to have well being advantages together with prolonging life. On this interview, we converse to Professor Micheal Ristow about his newest analysis into inexperienced tea and its results on oxidative stress.
Please might you inform us about your background in well being sciences and what impressed your newest analysis into inexperienced tea?
My analysis entails the seek for therapeutic choices to stop and remedy age-related ailments. An avid inexperienced tea drinker myself, I wished to seek out out whether or not the claims about inexperienced tea, by way of well being and longevity, held up below scientific scrutiny.
Inexperienced tea has lengthy been stated to have well being advantages together with prolonging life. What are a number of the different well being advantages of inexperienced tea and what components of inexperienced tea are stated to provide these numerous well being advantages?
Medical trials and epidemiological research have revealed well being advantages related to inexperienced tea consumption, together with a major discount in systolic blood strain and fasting glucose, in addition to weight reduction in type 2 diabetes patients, and girls with central weight problems.
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What is supposed by the time period ‘oxidative stress’ and the way do the catechins in inexperienced tea forestall harm to cells or DNA?
Oxidative stress is an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants. Free radicals type when oxygen interacts with sure molecules. Whereas they’re a pure results of regular metabolic processes corresponding to digesting meals, and environmental stressors (an excessive amount of solar, for instance), they’ll harm cells within the physique.
As we age the physique loses its capacity to get rid of free radicals creating oxidative stress and growing old. What we discovered is that inexperienced tea catechins do not suppress oxidative stress (which means they don’t act as an antioxidant). As a substitute, they enhance the physique’s defenses by selling oxidative stress.
Are you able to describe the way you carried out your newest analysis into inexperienced tea and oxidative stress? What did you uncover?
Researchers at ETH Zurich and the College of Jena carried out a examine to find out how catechins act within the nematode worm C. elegans. The worms have been fed inexperienced tea catechins and researchers analyzed their mobile metabolism, stress resistance, bodily train capability, well being, and lifespan, amongst others.
We found that inexperienced tea polyphenols (or catechins) aren’t in truth antioxidants. The inexperienced tea catechins improve oxidative stress within the brief time period, rising the physique’s defensive capabilities very like consuming fewer energy or partaking in sporting actions. In our examine, the catechins in inexperienced tea led to longevity within the nematodes.
You additionally observed related outcomes whenever you investigated sports activities and well being. Are you able to describe your analysis right here?
In 2009, my analysis group carried out a examine that confirmed that bodily exercise and sports activities promote well being by rising oxidative stress within the brief time period which improves the physique’s defenses. Consuming fewer energy has the identical impact.
You your self are an avid inexperienced tea drinker however advise in opposition to taking inexperienced tea extracts or concentrates. Why is that this?
At a sure focus, high-does catechins inhibit mitochondria inducing cell dying which might be notably harmful for the liver.
Anybody consuming these polyphenols in extreme doses dangers damaging their organs.
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What recommendation would you give to individuals who both drink inexperienced tea or need to try to begin consuming inexperienced tea?
I counsel consuming inexperienced tea carefully can be high-quality, however definitely keep away from inexperienced tea extracts or concentrates.
As with every dietary or dietary complement, it’s best to hunt customized recommendation from a medical skilled conversant in your medical historical past and desires.
What are the subsequent steps for you and your analysis?
My analysis group and I are pursuing analysis on the biochemical and molecular foundation of longevity regulation to offer novel therapeutic choices to stop and remedy age-related ailments like weight problems, diabetes, neurodegeneration, and most cancers. We’re notably fascinated with genetic pathways and environmental elements that modulate longevity.
Along with different subjects, we’re notably centered on the function performed by mitochondria in lifespan regulation. Previously and opposite to the extensively reiterated Free Radical Principle of Ageing, we have now repeatedly proven that the health-promoting results related to low caloric consumption, bodily train, sirtuins (signaling proteins concerned in metabolic regulation), impaired insulin/IGF-1 signaling, and different lifespan-extending interventions could also be attributable to elevated formation of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) throughout the mitochondria, inflicting a vaccination-like adaptive response that culminates in elevated stress resistance and prolonged longevity, a course of a. okay. a. mitochondrial hormesis or mitohormesis.
The place can readers discover extra info?
- Inexperienced tea catechins promote oxidative stress
- Revealed paper
- Tian J, Geiss C, Zarse Ok, Madreiter-Sokolowski CT, Ristow M: Inexperienced tea catechins EGCG and ECG improve the health and lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans by complicated I inhibition. Ageing, 2021 Oct 4;13. doi: 10.18632/aging.203597call_made
- Oxidative stress mediates health-promoting results of bodily train, and antioxidants forestall these
- Glucosamine promotes longevity by mimicking a low-carb food plan
- Vitality Metabolism Lab at ETH Zurich
- Social channels
About Professor Michael Ristow
Prof. Dr. Michael Ristow and his analysis group within the Vitality Metabolism Laboratory within the Dept. of Well being Sciences and Know-how, ETH Zurich concentrate on the biochemical and molecular foundation of longevity regulation to offer novel therapeutic choices to stop and remedy age-related ailments like weight problems, diabetes, neurodegeneration, and most cancers.
Ristow accomplished his undergraduate and M.D. on the College of Bochum. He additionally accomplished post-doctoral analysis at Harvard Medical Faculty. On the College of Jena, he served as a full professor in dietary science, later becoming a member of ETH Zurich as a full professor in power metabolism in 2013.