Next time you reach for a cup of coffee, you may want to grab a cup of white tea instead. New research from Kingston University in London shows white tea helps reduce age-related wrinkles. The researchers tested the health properties of 21 different plant and herb extracts and found that white tea, by far, had the most potent anti-oxidant properties. White tea comes from the same plant as green tea, Camilli sinensis, but it is processed differently and undergoes less oxidation. For this reason, white tea has a higher content of catechins, which are anti-oxidants.
A series of tests were performed, testing the ability of the plant extracts to protect the structural integrity of the skin, specifically elastin and collagen activity. Both elastin and collagen are important components of connective tissue that are responsible for the elasticity and strength of skin, and thus it’s propensity to produce wrinkles. In addition to the skin, elastin is also a very important structural component of the arteries, lungs, and ligaments. The degradation of these proteins leads to wrinkles associated with age. The proteins that break down collagen and elastin are known as collagenases and elastases, respectively. Collagenases and elastases are also associated with inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
The results were astounding. White tea inhibited the activity of collagenase by 89% and elastase by 87%. White tea also had high anti-oxidant activity and was able to inhibit the formation of free radicals by 88%. The potent anti-collagenase and anti-elastase activity is attributed to the high concentration of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in white tea. EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant and has many therapeutic properties, including anti-cancer.
In a related study, scientists from Case Medical Center in Clevland, OH found that white tea protects against the UV damaging effects of the sun as well. White tea was found to guard Langerhans cells from cell death. Langerhans cells are immune cells that are located in the outer layer of the epidermis and are the first to recognize foreign substances, such as, microbes and cancerous proteins. However, because of their location they are extremely sensitive to UV radiation.
White tea extract was topically applied to an area on the patient’s skin and subsequently exposed to artificial sunlight. The white tea was able to preserve the Langerhans cells, which still retained their immune function. Additionally, the white tea prevented the DNA damage that typically occurs with UV radiation. Again, the high anti-oxidant activity in white tea is thought to play a role in the protection against UV damage.
It is important to recognize that the same process of oxidative stress in skin cells by UV radiation also promotes skin cancer and age-related wrinkles. Younger skin is able to resist oxidative stress better than aged skin and both of these studies provide evidence that white tea is capable of building the skin’s resistance against factors that cause the skin to age.
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