Mpm. De Maat et al., Consumption of black and green tea has no effect on inflammation, haemostasis and endothelial markers in smoking healthy individuals, EUR J CL N, 54(10), 2000, pp. 757-763
Obejective: Firstly, to study the effect of tea and tea polyphenols on card
iovascular risk indicators of the inflammatory system (IL6, IL1 beta and TN
F-alpha, CRP), and on haemostasis and endothelial proteins with an acute ph
ase behaviour (fibrinogen, vWF, PAI-I, FVIIa and u-PA). Secondly, to study
the relationship between plasma levels of antioxidants (alpha-tocopherol, b
eta-carotene and Vitamin C) and these acute-phase, cardiovascular risk indi
cators.
Design: Randomized study.
Subjects: Sixty-four smoking healthy volunteers were recruited by newspaper
advertisements; there were five dropouts.
Intervention: Four-week administration of black tea, green tea, green tea p
olyphenol isolate and mineral water (13-16 per group).
Measures: Plasma levels of the inflammatory markers IL6, IL1 beta, TNF-alph
a, CRP, fibrinogen, vWF, PAI-1, FVIIa and u-PA. and of the antioxidants h-t
ocopherol, beta-carotene and vitamin C.
Results: Different dosages of tea polyphenols had no effect on inflammation
, haemostasis and endothelial markers. There was a significant negative cor
relation between the levels of the antioxidant beta-carotene and the inflam
mation markers IL6 and fibrinogen (r = -0.35 and r = -0.37, respectively, P
< 0.01) in this group of smokers. Remarkably, there was a significant posi
tive correlation between the levels of the antioxidant alpha-tocopherol and
the inflammation marker IL6 (r = 0.28, P < 0.05).
Conclusions: Tea drinking had no effect on the levels of the inflammation,
haemostasis and endothelial cardiovascular risk factors measured. We did ob
serve a relationship between the antioxidant variables alpha-tocopherol and
beta-carotene and inflammation markers in this group of healthy smoking su
bjects.