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 treat a particular disease. Several studies have already shown the health benefits, including the fact that tea can help reduce the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease. But a team of researchers has now shown how a component of tea works at the cellular level to lower blood pressure. The discovery could affect 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 from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and published their findings in Cell physiology and biochemistry. According to new research, two tea antioxidants 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, leading to dilation of blood vessels. As a result, blood pressure is reduced.
Catechins are responsible for activating 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 affects the process of muscle relaxation and contraction.
The researchers used computer modeling and mutated versions of the channel protein to show that catechins bind to a section that detects voltage changes. Ionic channels have a closed voltage and open or close depending on the electrical charges.
“This binding allows the canal to open much more easily and earlier in the cell excitation process,” said Professor Geoffrey Abbott of the UCI School of Medicine. Medical news today. Muscle cells would be less excitable and less likely to contract. It is this phenomenon that allows blood vessels to dilate and lower blood pressure.
The authors used rats to test the theory. They measured changes in blood pressure in the walls of the arteries 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 from the drink and the catechins will be released to exert their effect on the body. The researchers found that milky tea may not activate KCNQ5 channels in laboratory tests. But this is not the same as a person drinking tea with milk.
The researchers also addressed iced tea. Activation of KCNQ5 increases at 35 ° C (95 ° F). But this temperature is reached after ingesting the tea regardless of how it is consumed. The human body operates at about 37 ° C (98.6 ° F), so antioxidants would work at an optimal 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 with high blood pressure use a combination of medications to control their blood pressure.
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 with the disorder may develop seizures because the channel protein does not respond effectively to voltage changes.
The full study is available at this link.
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Chris Smith began writing about gadgets as a hobby, and before he knew it, he was sharing his views on technology issues with readers around the world. Whenever he doesn’t write about gadgets, he fails to stay away from them, even though he tries desperately. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.