The science of tea’s mood-altering magic

Gilbert, Natasha

doi:10.1038/d41586-019-00398-1

Cited by 32 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 7 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Based on the large observational data from a national survey, the statistical association between tea drinking and depressive symptoms may not necessarily approve the clinical significance of tea components in improving mental health. This is particularly true given the fact that how tea drinking works involve both biochemical, behavioral and social mechanisms [21]. However, from the perspective of public health, in face of the accelerated population aging in China, our study suggests that it seems a reasonable initiative to promote tea drinking among seniors, which could effectively reduce depressive symptoms in later life.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…Lastly, we examined covariates of social engagement as the third group, which included activities such as playing card or mahjong (yes vs. no), participating community activities (yes vs. no), and tourism (yes vs. no). One key debate on the benefit of tea over mental health is whether the impact comes from the biochemical components of tea or the social context of tea drinking [21]. The confounding effect of social context should be particularly relevant in China, where tea drinking is a long cultural tradition with social functions to show respect, to build network, to celebrate, and to apologize.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lastly, theaflavins as the main polyphenolic compounds of black tea may protect against oxidative stress [19]. Notwithstanding these important findings, how biochemical components interact to make up the benefit of tea upon mental health is still puzzling, and thus becomes a frontline in the current biochemical research for this field [20, 21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Association between tea consumption and depressive symptom among Chinese older adults

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Despite accumulating evidence on the protective effect of tea consumption against depression, studies specifically focusing on the elderly population are yet limited. This paper examined the association between the frequency and duration of tea drinking and depressive symptoms of older adults by gender and age groups, based on a nationally representative sample in China. Method The study employed the panel data from 2005, 2008/2009, 2011/2012 and 2014 waves of Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). We used the frequency and consistency of tea drinking behaviors to identify four types of tea consumption amongst Chinese seniors. Depressive symptoms were assessed by a five-item scale. Linear mixed effects models were applied. Results We found that consistent and frequent tea-drinking was associated with significantly less depressive symptoms, and such impact was partially mediated by socioeconomic status, health behavior, physical health, cognitive function, and social engagement. However, the association was only significant for males and the oldest-old, rather than females and younger elders. Conclusions Consistent and frequent tea-drinking may effectively reduce the risk of depressive symptoms for the Chinese elderly. The promotion of the traditional lifestyle of tea drinking could be a cost-effective way towards healthy aging for China. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12877-019-1259-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Association between tea consumption and depressive symptom among Chinese older adults

2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The use of GABA/l-theanine mixture rather than GABA or l-theanine alone restored to normal levels sleep time and quality in the arousal animal model” [ 54 ]. Theanine and GABA in tea have been found to lower cortisol levels [ 55 ]. Addressing GABAergic dysfunction associated with aging can improve sleep.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Aging GABAergic System and Its Nutritional Support

Mills¹

2021

Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aging is associated with a decline in hormones and an associated decline in GABAergic function and calcium and ion current dysregulation. Neurosteroid hormones act as direct calcium channel blockers, or they can act indirectly on calcium channels through their interaction with GABA receptors. The calcium channel dysfunction associated with hormone loss further leads to an excitatory cell state, which can ultimately lead to cell death. The calcium theory of aging posits that cellular mechanisms, which maintain the homeostasis of cytosol Ca2+ concentration, play a key role in brain aging and that sustained changes in Ca2+ homeostasis provide the final common pathway for age-associated brain changes. There is a link between hormone loss and calcium dysregulation. Loss of calcium regulation associated with aging can lead to an excitatory cell state, primarily in the mitochondria and nerve cells, which can ultimately lead to cell death if not kept in check. A decline in GABAergic function can also be specifically tied to declines in progesterone, allopregnanolone, and DHEA levels associated with aging. This decline in GABAergic function associated with hormone loss ultimately affects GABAergic inhibition or excitement and calcium regulation throughout the body. In addition, declines in GABAergic function can also be tied to vitamin status and to toxic chemicals in the food supply. The decline in GABAergic function associated with aging has an effect on just about every body organ system. Nutritional support of the GABAergic system with supportive foods, vitamins, and GABA or similar GABA receptor ligands may address some of the GABAergic dysfunction associated with aging.

show abstract

“…Plentiful trichomes are generally considered to indicate high quality in Chinese tea. Tea trichomes are abundant in metabolites including theanine, catechins, volatiles and caffeine [25,26]. They possess especially high contents of benzoic acid derivatives, lipid oxidation derivatives and monoterpene derivatives, which contribute to tea flavor and aroma [27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genome-Wide Identification of Tea Plant bHLH Transcription Factor Family and Discovery of Candidate Regulator for Trichome Formation

Liu

Wang

Tang

et al. 2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Leaf trichomes play vital roles in plant resistance and tea quality. Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) play an important role in regulating plant development and growth. However, it is poorly understood whether bHLH TFs are associated with trichome formation in tea plant. In this study, a total of 134 CsbHLH proteins were identified in the Camellia sinensis var. sinensis (CSS) genome. All identified proteins were divided into 19 subgroups according to the Arabidopsis thaliana classification. Phylogenetic tree analysis indicated that the members of group IIIc-I and group IIIc-II might be associated with trichome formation. Expression analysis showed that the candidate genes associated with trichome formation in tea plant were primarily located in cluster 1, cluster 3 and cluster 5. The expression patterns of CsbHLH116, CsbHLH133, CsbHLH060, CsbHLH028, CsbHLH024, CsbHLH112 and CsbHLH053 from these clusters were similar to the trichome distribution in tea plants. Notably, CsbHLH024 and CsbHLH133 were highly expressed in the young tissues of different cultivars. CsbHLH024 and CsbHLH133 possessed transcriptional activation ability and could interact with CsTTG1, a regulator of tea trichome formation. This study provides useful information for further research on the function of CsbHLHs in the regulation of trichome formation.

show abstract

The science of tea’s mood-altering magic

Cited by 32 publications

References 7 publications

Association between tea consumption and depressive symptom among Chinese older adults

Association between tea consumption and depressive symptom among Chinese older adults

The Aging GABAergic System and Its Nutritional Support

Genome-Wide Identification of Tea Plant bHLH Transcription Factor Family and Discovery of Candidate Regulator for Trichome Formation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About