Tea is one of the world’s oldest and most popular beverages. Some consume it for the taste or for the social experience, while others drink it because they have been told that a specific variety of tea will help them address a specific ailment. Several studies have already shown the health benefits, including the fact that tea can help reduce high blood pressure and heart disease. But a team of researchers has now proven how a component in tea works at the cellular level to lower blood pressure. The discovery could in the future affect therapies for hypertension, a health issue affecting hundreds of millions of people around the world.
Today’s Top Deal 
Amazon has finally made 6-layer KN95 masks in the US! Price:$ 39.99 
BGR is available on Amazon and may receive a commission Available at Amazon BGR may receive a commission
Scientists from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) have collaborated with researchers from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and published their findings in Cellular physiology and biochemistry. According to new research, two antioxidants in tea 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 the dilation of blood vessels. As a result, blood pressure is lowered.
The catechins are responsible for the activation of a potassium ion channel called KCNQ5. These channels that allow the passage of ions occur in nerves and muscles. This type of electrical exchange allows information between the brain and the rest of the body, and it directly affects the muscle’s contraction-relaxation process.
The researchers used computer modeling and mutated versions of the channel protein to prove that the catechins bind to a portion that changes voltage. Ion channels are voltage, and they open or close due to electrical charges.
“With this binding, the canal can open much more easily and earlier in the process of cellular excitation,” said prof. Geoffrey Abbott, UCI School of Medicine, said Medical news today. The muscle cells become less excited and contract less. It is this phenomenon that allows the blood vessels to dilate and lower blood pressure.
The authors used rats to test the theory. They measured voltage changes in the arteries of the veins and confirmed that catechins activate the KCNQ5 channel and lower blood pressure.
This new study also explains that the addition of 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 did find that milky tea may not be able to activate KCNQ5 channels during laboratory tests. But it is not the same as someone drinking tea with milk in it.
The researchers also address iced tea. The activation of KCNQ5 is increased at 35 ° C (95 ° F). But this temperature is reached after the tea has been ingested, no matter how it is consumed. The human body works at about 37 ° C (98.6 ° F), so the antioxidants will work at optimum temperature.
Drinking tea more often can also help control blood pressure. However, more research is needed to determine new treatment protocols around the use of tea. People suffering from hypertension use a combination of drugs to keep their blood pressure in check.
The benefits of catechin molecules may not be limited to blood pressure. They can also pierce the blood-brain barrier and directly affect a condition called epileptic encephalopathy. The antioxidants bind to the same KCNQ5 channel. People suffering from the disease can get seizures as the channel protein does not respond effectively to stress changes.
The full study is available at this link.
Today’s Top Deal Amazon has finally made 6-layer KN95 masks in the US! Price:$ 39.99 BGR is available at Amazon and may receive a commission Available at Amazon BGR may receive a commission
Chris Smith started writing about hobbies as a hobby, and before he knew it, he was sharing his opinion on technological things with readers around the world. If he does not write about equipment, he can not stay in it, even though he is desperately trying. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.