title: Purified black tea theaflavins and theaflavins/catechin supplements did not affect serum lipids in healthy individuals with mildly to moderately elevated cholesterol concentrations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ingestion of tea flavonoids found in both green and black tea is linked to cardiovascular health benefits such as lowering serum lipids. Evidence for a cholesterol-lowering benefit of green or black tea consumption from human intervention studies is, however, conflicting and active components responsible for the effect have not yet been clearly identified.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel design study the effects of ingesting a purified black tea theaflavins (TFs) powder alone or in combination with catechin (TFs/catechins) on lowering serum total (TC) and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c) were assessed.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 102 mildly to moderately hypercholesterolemic (TC and LDL-c: 5.70 +/- 0.74 and 3.97 +/- 0.61 mmol/L, respectively) subjects (67 men and 35 women) were randomly assigned to consume once daily one capsule of one of the 3 treatments: TFs (providing 77.5 mg), TFs/catechins (providing 75.0 mg TFs plus 150.0 mg catechins and 195.0 mg of other polyphenols), or placebo (cellulose).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum TC and LDL-c concentrations did not differ significantly among the 3 treatments as assessed at 4, 8, and 11 weeks using analysis of covariance (p = 0.1187 and p = 0.1063, respectively). Although changes over time from baseline to week 11 were significant for TC and LDL-c (p = 0.0311 and p = 0.0269, respectively), this decrease over time was seen in the TFs and placebo groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this human intervention study, no statistically significant LDL-c lowering effect was seen with either TFs alone or the TFs/catechins combination as compared to placebo. Based on these findings it cannot be concluded that tea flavonoids such as theaflavins and catechins are responsible for a putative cholesterol-lowering effect of black tea, at least not with the daily dose applied in the present study.
authors.affiliation: Unilever Research and Development, Vlaardingen, The Netherlands. elke.trautwein@Unilever.com
authors.forename: Elke A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Trautwein
authors.forename: Yaping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Evelyne
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Meynen
authors.forename: Xiuyuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Yibo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Hongqiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Henri O F
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Molhuizen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044946:Biflavonoids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002392:Catechin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010919:Placebos; D013662:Tea / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D044946:Biflavonoids; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008055:Lipids; D010919:Placebos; D013662:Tea; C056068:theaflavin; D002392:Catechin; D002784:Cholesterol