To Tea Or Not To Tea, What Does It Do To Us?

Nov 01, 2022

People used to often ask, “Spot of tea?” Inviting someone to relax for a while by sipping tea.

Did you know?

Two billion cups of tea are drunk each day worldwide, second only to water. Tea has been produced and consumed for over 4,000 years.

For centuries, folks sipped tea to relax.

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine may have found out why.

Tea Research

Both green and black tea contain natural plant compounds that relax blood vessels. How? Activating ion channel proteins inside blood vessel walls.

This explains how both types of tea, black and green, calm the nervous system and even lower blood pressure (anti-hypertensive effect).

Two catechin-type flavonoid compounds (epicatechin gallate and epigallocatechin-3-gallate) are found in both teas, each activates a specific type of ion channel protein named KCNQ5.

Healthy activation of KCNQ5 nudges potassium ions to diffuse out of cells. This reduces cellular excitability.

As KCNQ5 is found in the smooth muscle that lines blood vessels, its activation by tea catechins relaxes blood vessels. Which relaxes blood pressure.

Prior studies demonstrated that regular consumption of green or black tea reduces blood pressure by a small but consistent amount.

Sipping several cups of tea a day may help promote healthier blood pressure.

In addition to its role in controlling vascular tone, KCNQ5 is expressed in various parts of the brain. Here it regulates the electrical activity and signaling between neurons.

Catechins cross the blood-brain barrier, and activate KCNQ5. or get this, help fix broken KCNQ5 channels, calming brain excitability. Reducing anxiety. Promoting calm.