Monograph

Red, black, and especially green tea contain polyphenols, potent antioxidant properties that can offer a strong defense against free radicals, assist normal cell growth, and support cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure levels. In addition, green tea can elevate thermogenesis, which allows the body to burn more calories and boost energy levels. With a rich combination of red, black, and green tea extracts, NUTRA Tea offers a fine-blend of polyphenol compounds for superior health benefits.
 

Description

NUTRAscriptives® NUTRA Tea is a superior blend of Green, Black and Red Tea sourced from European and South African extractors that ensure high standards for effective supplementation. Green and Black tea, Camellia sinesis, are fermented or dried leaves often cultivated in Asia and Eastern Europe. Red Tea, Aspalathus linearis, is cultivated in South Africa. NUTRA Tea contains strong antioxidant compounds including polyphenols, flavonoids, and aspalathin.

Research

Antioxidant Activity

Green and Black tea contain polyphenols, which prevent free radical proliferation. Specifically, green tea is rich in epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which has powerful antioxidant values to deter the effects of cognitive decline[1] and prevent oxidative stress in the heart.[2]

Red Tea offers similar benefits, as it is a source of rare antioxidants, including aspalathin, dihydrochalcones, and nothofagin. [3] Traditionally, red tea's antioxidant benefits have been valued in South Africa for ailments such as infantile colic, allergies, asthma, and skin infections.[4]

The proliferation of abnormal cell growth is significantly inhibited in individuals that drink tea.[5] Furthermore, studies indicate green tea polyphenols can reduce the formation of abnormal cells in several tissues, including the stomach, colon, pancreas, bladder, breast and prostate.3,[6],[7],[8],[9],[10]

Oxidative damage caused by exercise can be reduced with tea intake. A study recruited 14 young men participating in weight-training activity to take green tea (2 g, 3 times per day), finding it may protect the body from oxidative damage that accrues with resistance training.[11],[12]

Detoxification

Tea's anti-inflammatory properties can protect the liver from toxic exposure and oxidative stress.[13] The high catechin content found in green tea has anti-inflammatory properties that reduced liver inflammation in rats.[14] Furthermore, an extension of this study found green tea reduced the excessive formation of fibrous tissue found in inflamed livers. [15]

Red tea has been recognized as a liver-protecting compound, as it protected rats with toxic liver damage from the accumulation of fibrous tissue that leads to liver ailments.[16]

A research review examined ten studies concerning liver damage and tea's healing effects finding this flavonoid-rich substance reduced the risks of liver damage caused by inflammation, abnormal cell growth, and fat accumulation.[17]

Fat Metabolism

EGCG polyphenols, found in green tea, have thermogenic and fat oxidizing capabilities that are effective in regulating fat oxidation, weight, and insulin sensitivity.[18]

Men and women with excessive visceral fat were given Green Tea for 12 weeks finding a decrease in fat and overall body weight was greater than the control group.[19]

Glucose tolerance and fat oxidation were measured in moderate-intensity exercise subjects taking Green Tea extract. Results indicated fat oxidation levels (17%) and glucose sensitivity (13%) were higher after taking Green Tea extract, when compared to the placebo.30

Tea can normalize insulin balance to prevent greater blood sugar ailments and support metabolic function. One study found that black tea significantly reduced blood glucose levels in rats with insulin problems.[20]

Immune Function

Tea has immune-strengthening properties that can stimulate various defense mechanisms. One study found catechins boosted T-cell proliferation to stimulate immunity and suppress foreign antigens.[21]

Tea's antimicrobial properties boosted macrophage activity to fight respiratory infections in patients with suppressed immunity[22], while another study found that green tea catechins reduced the proliferation of bacterial antigens by activating potent antioxidant compounds.[23] Tea regulated the immune response in mice to prevent the proliferation of abnormal cell growth.[24]

Furthermore, red tea was tested on autoimmune virus strains, observing the active polysaccharides found in the tea effectively inhibited the virus' activity. Researchers concluded that daily intake of red tea could suppress autoimmune infections.[25]

Cardiovascular Health

Individuals that consume more polyphenolic rich-compounds found in tea have a lower risk of developing cardiovascular or neurological ailments.[26]

Tea's potent properties can prevent the generation of highly reactive oxide compounds that cause cardiovascular ailments. A thirteen-day study gave rats a water/green tea mixture or a placebo, finding blood pressure and endothelial function (interior blood vessel cells) were maintained in the rats that consumed green tea.2

The mechanisms that lower cardiovascular risk factors were observed in hamsters fed a normal or high-cholesterol diet, in combination with green or black tea. Results indicated that both green and black tea's antioxidant and fat-metabolizing mechanisms decreased cardiovascular risk factors. Yet, green tea was significantly more effective than black tea.[27]

Additional Information – Dosage & Interactions

Suggested Use

As a dietary supplement, take one capsule daily, or as directed by a physician.

Dosage

Green & Black Tea - Up to 500 mg per day (200 mg EGCG, NMT 200 mg caffeine)

Red Tea - NMT 600mg

Precautions

The maximum safe dosages of the nutrients in this formula have not been determined for children, pregnant or nursing women, or those with severe liver or kidney disease. As with all supplement regimens, please consult your physician prior to use.

Green & Black Tea - Excessive amounts of caffeine can lead to restlessness, tremors, etc.

Red Tea – There are no known adverse reactions with proper supplementation.

Drug Interactions

Consult a physician before taking NUTRA Tea, as the following key nutrients may interact with certain medications.

Green & Black Tea - Blood Thinning Medicine, Alkaline medications

Red Tea – There are no known interactions with proper supplementation.

*Statements made herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References

[1] Mandel SA, Amit T, Kalfon L, et al. Targeting multiple neurodegenerative diseases etiologies with multimodal-acting green tea catechins. J Nutr. 2008 Aug; 138(8):1578S-1583S.

[2] Antonello M, Montemurro D, Bolognesi M, et al. Prevention of hypertension, cardiovascular damage and endothelial dysfunction with green tea extracts. Am J Hypertens. 2007 Dec; 20(12):1321-1328.

[3] McKay DL, Blumberg JB. A review of the bioactivity of South African herbal teas: rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia). Phytother Res. 2007; 21(1):1-16.

[4] Joubert E, Gelderblom WC, Louw A, De Beer D. South African herbal teas: Aspalathus linearis, cyclopia spp. and athrixia phylicoides - A review. J Enthnopharmacol. 2008 Jun 22.

[5] Thangapazham RL, Singh AK, Sharma A, et al. Green tea polyphenols and its constituent epigallocatechin gallate inhibits proliferation of human breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Cancer Lett. 2007 Jan 8; 245(1-2):232-241.

[6] Thangapazham RL, Passi N, Maheshwari RK. Green tea polyphenol and epigallocatechin gallate induce apoptosis and inhibit invasion in human breast cancer cells. Cancer Biol Ther. 2007 Dec; 6(12):1938-1943.

[7] Coyle CH, Philips BJ, Morrisroe SN, et al. Antioxidant effects of green tea and its polyphenols on bladder cells. Life Sci. 2008 Jul 4; 83(1-2):12-18.

[8] Nakazato T, Ito K, Ikeda Y, Kizaki M. Green tea component, catechin, induces apoptosis of human malignant B cells via production of reactive oxygen species. Clin Cancer Res. 2005 Aug 15; 11(16):6040-6049.

[9] Ergüder IB, Namuslu M, Sözener U, et al. Effects of aqueous green tea extract on activities of DNA turn-over enzymes in cancerous and non-cancerous human gastric and colon tissues. Altern Ther Health Med. 2008 May-Jun; 14(3):30-33.

[10] Shankar S, Ganapathy S, Hingorani SR, Srivastava RK. EGCG inhibits growth, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis of pancreatic cancer. Front Biosci. 2008 Jan 1;13:440-452.

[11] Panza VS, Wazlawik E, Ricardo Schütz G, et al. Consumption of green tea favorably affects oxidative stress markers in weight-trained men. Nutrition. 2008 May; 24(5):433-442.

[13] Lee SI, Kim HJ, Boo YC. Effect of green tea and epigallocatechin gallate on ethanol-induced toxicity in HepG2 cells. Phytother Res. 2008 May; 22(5):669-674.

[14] Abe K, Ijiri M, Suzuki T, et al. Green tea with a high catechin content suppresses inflammatory cytokine expression in the galactosamine-injured rat liver. Biomed Res. 2005 Oct; 26(5):187-192.

[15] Abe K, Suzuki T, Ijiri M, et al. The anti-fibrotic effect of green tea with a high catechin content in the galactosamine-injured rat liver. Biomed Res. 2007 Feb; 28(1):43-48.

[16] Ulicna O, Greksak M, Vancova O, Zlatos L, et al. Hepatoprotective effect of rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) on CCl4-induced liver damage in rats. Physiol Res. 2003; 52(4):461-466.

[17] Jin X, Zheng RH, Li YM. Green tea consumption and liver disease: a systematic review. Liver Int. 2008 May 14.

[18] Venables, MC, Hulston, CJ, Cox, HR, Jeukendrup, AE. Green Tea extract ingestion, fat oxidation, and glucose tolerance in healthy humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Mar; 87(3):778-784.

[19] Nagao, T, Hase, T, Tokimitsu, I. A Green Tea extract high in catechins reduces body fat and cardiovascular risks in humans. Obesity. 2007 Jun; 15(6):1473-1483.

[20] Gomes A, et al. Anti-hyperglycemic effect of black tea (Camellia sinensis) in rats. J Ethnopharmacol 1995; 45:223-226.

[21] Yoneyama S, Kawai K, Tsuno NH, et al. Epigallocatechin gallate affects human dendritic cell differentiation and maturation. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008; 121(1):209-214.

[22] Yamamoto Y, Matsunaga K, Friedman H. Protective effects of green tea catechins on alveolar macrophages against bacterial infections. Biofactors. 2004; 21(1-4):119-121.

[23] Watson JL, Vicario M, Wang A, et al. Immune cell activation and subsequent epithelial dysfunction by Staphylococcus enterotoxin B is attenuated by the green tea polyphenol - epigallocatechin gallate. Cell Immuno. 2005; 237(1):7-16.

[24] Zhu M, Gong Y, Yang Z. Protective effect of tea on immune function in mice. Zhonghua Yu Fang Yi Xue Za Zhi. 1998; 32(5):270-274.

[25] Nakano M, Nakashima H, Itoh Y. Anti-human immunodeficiency virus activity of oligosaccharides from rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) extracts in vitro. Leukemia. 1997; 11(3):128-130.

[26] Ullah MF, Khan MW. Food as medicine: potential therapeutic tendencies of plant derived polyphenolic compounds. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2008; 9(2):187-196.

[27] Vinson JA, Dabbagh YA. Effect of green and black tea supplementation on lipids, lipid oxidation and fibrinogen in the hamster: mechanisms for the epidemiological benefits of tea drinking. FEBS Let. 1998; 433:444-446.