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Theaflavin

Theaflavin is a chemical contained in black tea. Theaflavin is produced during the fermentation of green tea. Theaflavin is used as a medicine. Theaflavin is used to treat high cholesterol levels, heart disease and cancer.

How does theaflavin work?

Theaflavin has been shown to have antioxidant, antiviral and anti-cancer properties in test tube and animal studies. However, the effects of theaflavin in humans have not yet been well studied.

How effective is theaflavin?

There is not enough scientific data to make a statement about the effectiveness of theaflavin on high cholesterol levels, heart disease and cancer. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of theaflavin in these applications.

Safety and side effects

There is not enough information to say whether theaflavin is safe and harmless or what side effects it may have.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the use of theaflavin during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should refrain from using it.

Interactions

At this time, there is no information on interactions of theaflavin with medications or supplements.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of theaflavin depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific data to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for theaflavin. For this reason, you should follow the dosing instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

  1. Cai F, Li CR, Wu JL, et al. Theaflavin ameliorates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats through its anti-inflammatory effect and modulation of STAT-1. Mediators Inflamm 2006;2006:30490. View abstract.
  2. Chen CN, Lin CP, Huang KK, et al. Inhibition of SARS-CoV 3C-like Protease Activity by Theaflavin-3,3'-digallate (TF3). Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2005;2:209-15. view abstract.
  3. Fukuda I, Sakane I, Yabushita Y, et al. Black tea theaflavins suppress dioxin-induced transformation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2005;69:883-90. view abstract.
  4. Jhoo JW, Lo CY, Li S, et al. Stability of black tea polyphenol, theaflavin, and identification of theanaphthoquinone as its major radical reaction product. Agric Food Chem 2005;53:6146-50. view abstract.
  5. Kundu T, Dey S, Roy M, et al. Induction of apoptosis in human leukemia cells by black tea and its polyphenol theaflavin. Cancer Lett 2005;230:111-21. view abstract.
  6. Liu S, Lu H, Zhao Q, et al. Theaflavin derivatives in black tea and catechin derivatives in green tea inhibit HIV-1 entry by targeting gp41. Biochim Biophys Acta 2005;1723:270-81. view abstract.
  7. Matsui T, Tanaka T, Tamura S, et al. alpha-glucosidase inhibitory profile of catechins and theaflavins. J Agric Food Chem 2007;55:99-105. view abstract.
  8. Mizuno H, Cho YY, Zhu F, et al. Theaflavin-3, 3'-digallate induces epidermal growth factor receptor downregulation. Mol Carcinog 2006;45:204-12. view abstract.
  9. Tu YY, Tang AB, Watanabe N. Theaflavin monomers inhibit the cancer cells growth in vitro. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2004;36:508-12. view abstract.
  10. Way TD, Lee HH, Kao MC, Lin JK. Black tea polyphenol theaflavins inhibit aromatase activity and attenuate tamoxifen resistance in HER2/neu-transfected human breast cancer cells through tyrosine kinase suppression. Eur J Cancer 2004;40:2165-74. view abstract.
  11. Yanagida A, Shoji A, Shibusawa Y, et al. Analytical separation of tea catechins and food-related polyphenols by high-speed counter-current chromatography. J Chromatogr A 2006;1112:195-201. view abstract.