Tea Consumption Can Leads to Epigenetic Alterations in Females

In a new study from Uppsala University, researchers show that tea consumption in females results in epigenetic changes in genes which are known to have interaction with cancer and estrogen metabolism. Epigenetic alterations are chemical adjustments that flip our genes off or on.  The results are released in the journal Human Molecular Genetics.

It is well known that our environment and lifestyle factors, such as meals, smoking and exposure to chemical substances, can lead to epigenetic alterations. In this present study, researchers from Uppsala University in collaboration with study groups around Europe investigated if coffee and tea consumption may result in epigenetic alterations. Prior studies have advised that coffee and tea play a primary position in modulating disease risk in people by suppressing tumour progression, decreasing inflammation and influencing estrogen metabolism, mechanisms which may be mediated via epigenetic alterations.

The outcomes show that there are epigenetic changes in women who are ingesting tea, however not in men. Interestingly, many of these epigenetic changes had been located in genes involved in cancer and estrogen metabolism. According to Weronica Ek, researcher at the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology who led the study, Previous studies have shown that tea consumption reduces estrogen levels which highlight a potential difference between the biological response to tea in men and women. Women also drink higher amounts of tea compared to men, which increases our power to find association in women.

The outcomes from this study spotlight the role of pharmacologically active ingredients in tea being concerned in cancer and estrogen metabolism, which will replicate that health effects related to tea consumption are possibly a result of epigenetic alterations. Nonetheless, this study does no longer show if it is healthful or not to drink tea and additional study is needed to realize how epigenetic changes located on this study impacts our wellbeing. It has beforehand been verified that tea catechins lead to epigenetic alterations in vitro and in cultured cancer cells, arguing that one of the crucial health results of tea could also be mediated via epigenetics.

More research is currently ongoing to know what more benefits we can derive from consuming tea and tea-derived products. For more research and news about tea and other healthy food, feel free to browse our other articles on this site.