31 replies to this topic

[Matt]

White Tea Could Keep You Healthy And Looking Young
http://www.scienceda...90810085312.htm

ScienceDaily (Aug. 14, 2009) — Next time you’re making a cuppa, new research shows it might be wise to opt for a white tea if you want to reduce your risk of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis or even just age-associated wrinkles. Researchers from Kingston University teamed up with Neal’s Yard Remedies to test the health properties of 21 plant and herb extracts. They discovered all of the plants tested had some potential benefits, but were intrigued to find white tea considerably outperformed all of them.

Professor Declan Naughton, from the School of Life Sciences at Kingston University in South West London, said the research showed white tea had anti-ageing potential and high levels of anti-oxidants which could prevent cancer and heart disease. “We’ve carried out tests to identify plant extracts that protected the structural proteins of the skin, specifically elastin and collagen,” he explained. “Elastin supports the body’s natural elasticity which helps lungs, arteries, ligaments and skin to function. It also helps body tissue to repair when you suffer wounds and stops skin from sagging.” Collagen is a protein found in connective tissues in the body and is important for skin, strength and elasticity, he added.

Results showed white tea prevented the activities of the enzymes which breakdown elastin and collagen which can lead to wrinkles that accompany ageing. These enzymes, along with oxidants, are associated with inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Professor Naughton said: “These enzymes and oxidants are key components of normal body processes. However, in inflammatory conditions, suppressing the activities of these excess components has been the subject of decades of research. We were surprised to find such high activity for the white tea extracts in all five tests that were conducted.”

The researchers were blown away by exactly how well the white tea had performed. “We were testing very small amounts far less than you would find in a drink,” Professor Naughton, one of the country’s leading specialists on inflammation, said. “The early indicators are that white tea reduces the risk of inflammation which is characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis and some cancers as well as wrinkles.”

Eight of the other plants and herbs analysed also helped protect against the breakdown of both elastin and collagen. After white tea, bladderwrack performed well followed by extracts of cleavers, rose, green tea, angelica, anise and pomegranate.

Dr Pauline Hili, Technical Director for Neal’s Yard Remedies, said: “We are really excited by this research as it helps us to remain innovative and at the cutting edge of natural skin care. Celebrating the plants used in the Neal’s Yard Remedies products and understanding their specific actions on the skin is what it is all about. The Kingston University research program helps us to create safe, highly effective and cutting-edge products so it’s an ideal partnership for us.”

Journal reference:

1. Tamsyn SA Thring, Pauline Hili, Declan P Naughton. Anti-collagenase, anti-elastase and anti-oxidant activities of extracts from 21 plants. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2009, 9:27 (4 August 2009) [link]


FREE FULL PAPER
http://www.biomedcen...2-6882-9-27.pdf


Make sure you don't miss figures 1 - 5 showing by bar graph showing how effective each plant is.

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Edited by Matt, 14 August 2009 - 08:48 PM.

[VictorBjoerk]

good to hear since I've had 4 cups of white tea today... (white tea is my favorite tea)

[Forever21]

part of my daily regimen

5cups a day

in dried leaf form

http://www.imminst.o...-it-t28578.html

[JLL]

This was really more about topical uses of white tea and other extracts, right?

[youandme]

Thanks for sharing

Now I wonder which type of White Tea did they use for the study ?

[Forever21]

I have this too in my topical regimen.

[Matt]

It seems that both oral and topical use both be beneficial. Heres some studies, not directly related to the study above though

Green Tea Polyphenols Induce Differentiation and Proliferation in Epidermal Keratinocytes
http://jpet.aspetjou...stract/306/1/29

Inhibition of UVB-Induced Skin Tumor Development by Drinking Green Tea Polyphenols Is Mediated Through DNA Repair and Subsequent Inhibition of Inflammation.
http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/19020550

(-)Epigallocatechin gallate hampers collagen destruction and collagenase activation in ultraviolet-B-irradiated human dermal fibroblasts: involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinase.
http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/18226437

Green Tea Polyphenols Induce Differentiation and Proliferation in Epidermal Keratinocytes
http://jpet.aspetjou...stract/306/1/29

Double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial to determine the role of a combination regimen of systemic and topical green tea in UV protection and the improvement of skin appearance
http://www.spabeauty...ea_clinical.pdf

Here Tea was found to be one of things that made a difference in skin aging in humans
Skin Wrinkling: Can Food Make a Difference?
http://www.jacn.org/...reprint/20/1/71

Edited by Matt, 15 August 2009 - 05:06 PM.

[Lufega]

Matt,

Thanks for these links! I've been researching plant extract that inhibit elastase and other proteinase inhibitors. I never imagined Tea would have the highest effect!

No mention of how they did against hyaluronidase?? That would be the free lunch!

Edited by Lufega, 31 October 2009 - 04:57 AM.

[tunt01]

strange that it outperforms green tea by so much in terms of elastase. white tea is just baby green tea, plucked at an early stage.

[1kgcoffee]

Too bad it's so much more expensive than green tea. I go through 2 or 3 pounds of cheap green a month.

[niner]

strange that it outperforms green tea by so much in terms of elastase. white tea is just baby green tea, plucked at an early stage.

But look at how well EGCG does against elastase. This was their active control, run at 250 uM. The plant extracts were tested at 25 ug/150uL, or 0.1667g/L. If you use the MW of EGCG, that works out to 364 uM. Does that mean that their green tea extract was low in EGCG? The enzymes were also incubated for 15 minutes prior to the assay. So... these were pretty high concentrations. They might be relevant for topical use, probably less so for oral use. This isn't the first thing I've heard about white tea extract for skin use. I notice that white tea extract is way less common a product than GTE. Probably a lot more expensive for the raw material.

[Matt]

I dunno if it has any effect but I just use the green tea and white tea bags and rub on my face. I know that it a) reduces the size of spots within half hour or less and takes pain away b) makes my skin feel smoother. Whether or not it does anything for aging, well, it doesn't matter because it costs nothing extra. I just use the tea bag after brewing my tea. I've been doing this for about 2 years now

[FunkOdyssey]

strange that it outperforms green tea by so much in terms of elastase. white tea is just baby green tea, plucked at an early stage.

It isn't just baby green tea, it is unmolested baby green tea. Green tea has undergone a process of oxidation that considerably changes it characteristics.

[nowayout]

White Tea Could Keep You Healthy And Looking Young

This kind of journalism is frankly idiotic.

The study is in vitro. I can almost guarantee that in vivo it won't make any difference one way or another. Even if it does, that does not follow from the study. Certainly, the heading is designed to appeal to the gullible.

Matt, no offense, but you can do better than this.

Edited by viveutvivas, 31 October 2009 - 10:31 PM.

[Matt]

http://www.imminst.o...o...st&p=341256 you read those studies above?

Now... are you suggesting I should look younger at 25 ?

[Brain_Ischemia]

White Tea Could Keep You Healthy And Looking Young

This kind of journalism is frankly idiotic.

The study is in vitro. I can almost guarantee that in vivo it won't make any difference one way or another. Even if it does, that does not follow from the study. Certainly, the heading is designed to appeal to the gullible.

Matt, no offense, but you can do better than this.

Extremely easy to say, but I can't argue with the results in my own skin.
Check out my profile pic; I wash my face with cold water and a little bit of bar soap and THAT'S IT.

I consume quality fats and drink a few cups of white tea every day. I'm convinced the white tea has an impact on my skin, and I can absolutely positively guarantee you my skin didn't look like that a few years ago.

[Holysmoke]

how much fluoride is in white tea?

I stopped drinking green tea because of the high amount of fluoride. thanks

[Matt]

i think you should just stop listening to such rubbish about fluoride dangers from tea, and drink green tea again

[tunt01]

those of you who are really enthusiastic about green tea and its applications should try a hot green tea bath. draw a hot bath, throw in six tea bags. ive done it a couple times, not regularly tho. its pretty nice.

[ensun]

Yes, actually, the prior white tea skin study was performed topically in vivo... on subjects' buttocks.

[Matt]

those of you who are really enthusiastic about green tea and its applications should try a hot green tea bath. draw a hot bath, throw in six tea bags. ive done it a couple times, not regularly tho. its pretty nice.

$$$$$ cha-ching $$$$$

Can't afford that! lol

[Ben]

those of you who are really enthusiastic about green tea and its applications should try a hot green tea bath. draw a hot bath, throw in six tea bags. ive done it a couple times, not regularly tho. its pretty nice.

I think it would be better to first brew a large strong concoction with the right water temperature, then add the whole mix to a bath. Great idea though !

[Lufega]

By far the best elastase inhibitor I've tried is butcher's broom. I wonder why it wasn't compared in the study MAtt posted. How would it fare against green tea? I actually see a difference in the elasticity of my skin and people also take notice. I just SO much better, younger. I haven't seen this effect from using green tea capsules and drinking green tea produced a milder but also noticeable effect. Butcher's broom beats all of them though. I love the fact that it's soooo cheap!

[mustardseed41]

By far the best elastase inhibitor I've tried is butcher's broom. I wonder why it wasn't compared in the study MAtt posted. How would it fare against green tea? I actually see a difference in the elasticity of my skin and people also take notice. I just SO much better, younger. I haven't seen this effect from using green tea capsules and drinking green tea produced a milder but also noticeable effect. Butcher's broom beats all of them though. I love the fact that it's soooo cheap!

Why is this not known to others? Got any links explaining just how it is a great elastase inhibitor?

[niner]

By far the best elastase inhibitor I've tried is butcher's broom. I wonder why it wasn't compared in the study MAtt posted. How would it fare against green tea? I actually see a difference in the elasticity of my skin and people also take notice. I just SO much better, younger. I haven't seen this effect from using green tea capsules and drinking green tea produced a milder but also noticeable effect. Butcher's broom beats all of them though. I love the fact that it's soooo cheap!

Why is this not known to others? Got any links explaining just how it is a great elastase inhibitor?

If you search pubmed, you can find some evidence for its successful use in venous dysfunction. That's normally an application of pycnogenol, which is substantially more expensive than butcher's broom. I saw some mention of it being an elastase inhibitor, but with an IC50 of 120uM. I would hope to see some evidence of efficacy. People with emphysema would potentially benefit from an elastase inhibitor.

Archiv der Pharmazie; Volume 328 Issue 10, Pages 720 - 724; Published Online: 22 Sep 2006

Anti-Elastase and Anti-Hyaluronidase Activities of Saponins and Sapogenins from Hedera helix, Aesculus hippocastanum, and Ruscus aculeatus: Factors Contributing to their Efficacy in the Treatment of Venous Insufficiency
Roberto Maffei Facino *, Marina Carini, Rita Stefani, Giancarlo Aldini, Luisella Saibene
Istituto Chimico Farmaceutico Tossicologico, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Milan, Viale Abruzzi 42, I-20131 Milan, Italy

*Correspondence to Roberto Maffei Facino, Istituto Chimico Farmaceutico Tossicologico, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Milan, Viale Abruzzi 42, I-20131 Milan, Italy

Keywords
venous insufficiency • elastase • hyaluronidase • inhibition • saponins and sapogenins

Abstract
Triterpene and steroid saponins and sapogenins of medicinal plants (Aesculus hippocastanum L., Hedera helix L., Ruscus aculeatus L.) are claimed to be effective for the treatment/prevention of venous insufficiency. In this work we evaluated the inhibitory effects of these plant constituents on the activity of elastase and hyaluronidase, the enzyme systems involved in the turnover of the main components of the perivascular amorphous substance.
The results evidence that for Hedera helix L., the sapogenins only non-competitively inhibit hyaluronidase activity in a dose-dependent fashion, showing comparable IC50 values (hederagenin IC50 = 280.4 uM; oleanolic acid IC50 = 300.2 uM); both the saponins hederacoside C and -hederin are very weak inhibitors.
The same behaviour is observed for serine protease porcine pancreatic elastase: the glycosides are devoid of inhibitory action, while genins are potent competitive inhibitors (oleanolic acid IC50 = 5.1 uM; hederagenin IC50 = 40.6 uM). Constituents from Aesculus hippocastanum L. show inhibitory effects only on hyaluronidase, and this activity is mainly linked to the saponin escin (IC50 = u149.9 M), less to its genin escinol (IC50 = 1.65 uM).
By contrast, ruscogenins from Ruscus aculeatus L., ineffective on hyaluronidase activity, exhibit remarkable anti-elastase activity (IC50 = 119.9 uM; competitive inhibition). The mechanism of elastase inhibition by triterpene and steroid aglycones, with a nitroanilide derivative as substrate, is discussed.
Received: 10 July 1995

Digital Object Identifier (DOI) 10.1002/ardp.19953281006

Butcher's broom = Ruscus aculeatus. To be honest, I don't see what's so "remarkable" about a 120 uM inhibitor... What's important here is what is the specific ruscogenin content of the Butcher's broom extract, and more importantly, what is its bioavailability. If the bioavailability isn't good, you can forget about it as an oral elastase inhibitor. Since ruscogenin is a steroid, the bioavailability may well be excellent. From poking around on the net, I found that there is a hemorrhoid creme that contains purified ruscogenin. It could presumably be used as a topical skin creme for purposes of elastase inhibition, for what it's worth. Ruscogenin also has NFKB suppressive effects, as well as ICAM-1 suppresion. Thus it's a pretty interesting molecule. Here's a recent paper that describes it. Since it's a steroid, one has to treat it with a degree of respect. I have no idea what sort of tox studies (if any) have been done on it, or what levels or consistency you would see in a butcher's broom extract.

[Lufega]

My experience is purely anecdotal. The only evidence I saw for elastase inhibition was that same study niner posted and one entry online in a skin forum. That was it. I had some handy that I used (short term) to counter hypotension, so I gave it a go. One pill 3x a day. I have used MANY (as in A LOT) of different supplements and I have never seen this effect on my skin elasticity with any of them as I get with butcher's broom (except for many-a cups of green tea daily). There is no placebo effect at work here, unless I'm experiencing some type of body dysmorphic disorder, only that it makes me look good . In fact, I ran out recently and my skin went back to looking crappy after a few weeks. After only 2-3 days, I'm starting to look great again.

Maybe the effects are so dramatic for me because I have high elastase activity, secondary to an alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency. I suppose even a moderate degree of inhibition would produce a noticeable positive effect.

The only setbacks are that it acts as a mild diuretic and I feel a little thirsty and it's an alpha-agonist so it can cause anxiety if the dose is too high.

High elastase activity is implicated in aging, inflammation, cancer and other things so its inhibition has important anti-aging implications.

I'd like to see anyone with wrinkles or saggy skin take a shot at this. I'm using a form that is micronized so I hope this increases bioavailability.

This monograph has good information.

http://findarticles...._6/ai_81761457/

Edited by Lufega, 03 January 2010 - 08:10 AM.

[JLL]

Which brand of butcher's broom and from where?

[Lufega]

I use this brand.

[Logic]

those of you who are really enthusiastic about green tea and its applications should try a hot green tea bath. draw a hot bath, throw in six tea bags. ive done it a couple times, not regularly tho. its pretty nice.

I keep my used tea bags for this. Seems to work quite well. It also upregulates FoxO gene expression...

[Adaptogen]

so what kind of white tea? silver needle? peony? shou mei?

we should get a group buy going. 10kg of the finest white tea on the market