Attempting to Understand Health Effects Associated with Tea Consumption by Investigating Complexation Reactions with Copper

Abstract

Tea consumption is associated with many health benefits including protection against neurodegenerative
disorders, heart disease and viral infections, and stimulation of brain activity, it has also been reported to help diabetes
prevention, and has been linked with anticancer properties. This presentation addresses the chemical components in
teas that might be responsible for the reported health effects. Although many beneficial effects of tea consumption are
associated with the high polyphenol contents of the beverages, the chemical forms of the specific polyphenols differ
greatly among tea types, primarily as a consequence of their processing conditions. Furthermore, the wide ranges of
beneficial health effects associated with tea consumption, makes it unlikely that all are derived from a single family of
chemicals. Therefore, special consideration is given to the search for non-phenolic components in teas with potential
biological activities.