Catechin and its therapeutic benefits

Catechin inactivates coronavirus in saliva

What is Catechin ? *1

Catechin is a type of polyphenol and is mainly a bitter and astringent ingredient of tea, part of the chemical family of flavonoids.

Type of Catechins

　Catechins are classified as flavonoids of polyphenols. The main catechin components in green tea are epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate, and epigallocatechin gallate.

　The main catechin content in green tea extract is epigallocatechin gallate at about 59.1%, followed by epigallocatechin at about 19.2%, epicatechin gallate at about 13.7%, and epicatechin at about 6.4%. ..

Therapeutic Benefits of Catechin *2

Antioxidant Effect

Reactive oxygen species are toxic and oxidize cells in the body, causing aging and diseases. Antioxidant action removes active oxygen and helps prevent aging and diseases. Catechin detoxifies toxic superoxide and active oxygen called singlet oxygen.

Antiviral effect

Catechin is effective against both bacteria and viruses. The virus propagates in cells. When a virus such as influenza enters the body, it has a function to attach to certain cells, but when catechin is taken in, the virus becomes difficult to attach to the cells, so it cannot multiply inside the cells, and as a result, it helps prevent colds.

Anti-cancer effect *3

Catechin has an active oxygen scavenging effect and an anti-mutation inhibitory effect on cancer cells. It also has the function of suppressing the growth of cancer cells, which helps prevent cancer.

Cholesterol lowering effect

Catechin has the function of suppressing the absorption of cholesterol in the diet and promoting its excretion. There are two types of cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol and HDL (good) cholesterol, but it is LDL cholesterol that causes arteriosclerosis and causes myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction. Taking catechins lowers only LDL cholesterol and does not affect HDL cholesterol, helping to prevent arteriosclerosis.

Action to suppress the rise of blood sugar *4

　Catechin has the function of suppressing the absorption of sugar from the intestines after eating. Blood sugar levels rise with foods, sweets, and fruits that are high in sugar, such as rice, bread, and noodles. Blood sugar levels rise after meals, so taking them before meals slows the absorption of sugar from the intestines.

Bactericidal and antibacterial action

Since catechin has an antibacterial effect, it also suppresses the growth of food poisoning bacteria such as O-157 (enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli) that causes food poisoning and Helicobacter pylori that causes gastric ulcer and gastric cancer, so it works to prevent food poisoning and gastric ulcer.

Prevention of tooth decay and bad breath

The cause of tooth decay is that mutans bacteria adhere to the tooth and produce acid, which dissolves the enamel on the surface of the tooth and causes tooth decay. Catechin suppresses the growth of mutans bacteria, so it can prevent tooth decay.

Obesity prevention *5

Continued intake of a certain amount of catechins increases lipid metabolism in the liver, increases energy consumption, and reduces body fat. Continued intake of catechins also increases dietary fat burning and diet-induced body heat production. Diet-induced body heat production is energy consumption by digestion and absorption after a meal. There are three types of energy consumption: basal metabolism, physical activity metabolism, and diet-induced body heat production. Of these, diet-induced body heat production is about 10 to 15% of energy consumption. People with more visceral fat have lower diet-induced body heat production, so catechin intake increases energy expenditure and helps prevent obesity.

Foods contain catechins

Foods high in Epicatechin

Epicatechin is found in apples, blackberries, broad beans, cherries, grapes, pears, strawberries and chocolate.

Foods high in catechins

Catechin is found in soybeans, green tea, red beans, cocoa, etc.

Catechin intake

Although the Japanese dietary intake standard does not set a target intake of catechin, continuing to take catechin daily will help prevent health and illness. It is sugar-free, so it is recommended for hydration.

　The effective concentration of tea catechins is 540 mg or more daily, which helps to burn fat. 540 mg of catechin is equivalent to about 10 cups of green tea. Catechin is also a bitter and astringent ingredient of tea, so if you ingest 540 mg from green tea leaves, it will be quite difficult to drink. *6



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Reference

*1 Things you want to know about Catechin for beginners
*2 Catechin - Effects and Actions
*3 Cancer prevention with green tea catechin
*4 Discover the effectiveness of high-concentration tea catechins
*5 Antioxidant effect - Tea's healthy power
*6 Effective concentration of tea catechins