Black tea to lower cortisol

[chipdouglas]

Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2007 Jan;190(1):81-9. Epub 2006 Sep 30

The effects of tea on psychophysiological stress responsivity and post-stress recovery: a randomised double-blind trial.

Steptoe A, Gibson EL, Vuononvirta R, Williams ED, Hamer M, Rycroft JA, Erusalimsky JD, Wardle J.

Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, UK. a.steptoe@ucl.ac.uk

RATIONALE: Tea has anecdotally been associated with stress relief, but this has seldom been tested scientifically. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of 6 weeks of black tea consumption, compared with matched placebo, on subjective, cardiovascular, cortisol and platelet responses to acute stress, in a parallel group double-blind randomised design. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-five healthy nonsmoking men were withdrawn from tea, coffee and caffeinated beverages for a 4-week wash-out phase during which they drank four cups per day of a caffeinated placebo. A pretreatment laboratory test session was carried out, followed by either placebo (n = 38) or active tea treatment (n = 37) for 6 weeks, then, a final test session. Cardiovascular measures were obtained before, during and after two challenging behavioural tasks, while cortisol, platelet and subjective measures were assessed before and after tasks. RESULTS: The tasks induced substantial increases in blood pressure, heart rate and subjective stress ratings, but responses did not differ between tea and placebo treatments. Platelet activation (assessed using flow cytometry) was lower following tea than placebo treatment in both baseline and post-stress samples (P < 0.005). The active tea group also showed lower post-task cortisol levels compared with placebo (P = 0.032), and a relative increase in subjective relaxation during the post-task recovery period (P = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with placebo, 6 weeks of tea consumption leads to lower post-stress cortisol and greater subjective relaxation, together with reduced platelet activation. Black tea may have health benefits in part by aiding stress recovery. PMID: 17013636 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]
http://www.hairloss-research.org/LinkUpdateBlacktea7-09.html
The link above points to black tea doing the same thing as Finasteride does.

[DrMariano2]

The link above leads to a free article from the Journal of Nutrition:

http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/133/2/516

The Medline Abstract is:

J Nutr. 2003 Feb;133(2):516-21.

Soy phytochemicals and tea bioactive components synergistically inhibit androgen-sensitive human prostate tumors in mice.

Zhou JR, Yu L, Zhong Y, Blackburn GL.

Nutrition/Metabolism Laboratory, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. jrzhou@caregroup.harvard.edu

Although high doses of single bioactive agents may have potent anticancer effects, the chemopreventive properties of the Asian diet may result from interactions among several components that potentiate the activities of any single constituent. In Asia, where intake of soy products and tea consumption are very high, aggressive prostate cancer is significantly less prevalent in Asian men. The objective of the present study was to identify possible synergistic effects between soy and tea components on prostate tumor progression in a mouse model of orthotopic androgen-sensitive human prostate cancer. Soy phytochemical concentrate (SPC), black tea and green tea were compared with respect to tumorigenicity rate, primary tumor growth, tumor proliferation index and microvessel density, serum androgen level and metastases to lymph nodes. SPC, black tea and green tea significantly reduced tumorigenicity. SPC and black tea also significantly reduced final tumor weights. Green tea did not reduce final tumor weight, although it tended to elevate (P = 0.14) the serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentration. The combination of SPC and black tea synergistically inhibited prostate tumorigenicity, final tumor weight and metastases to lymph nodes in vivo. The combination of SPC and green tea synergistically inhibited final tumor weight and metastasis and significantly reduced serum concentrations of both testosterone and DHT in vivo. Inhibition of tumor progression was associated with reduced tumor cell proliferation and tumor angiogenesis. This study suggests that further research is warranted to study the role of soy and tea combination as effective nutritional regimens in prostate cancer prevention.

PMID: 12566493 [PubMed – indexed for MEDLINE]

This article implies that the combination of Soy products and Green tea results in reduction of Testosterone and Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This would be one reason prostate cancer is less prevalent in men in Asia.

However, the huge iodine intake in locations close to the ocean in Asia may also have a role in reducing prostate cancer.

[Mags]

This is a great webite. I really have enjoyed reading through the articles and forum posts. Thank you for your generosity of time and knowledge, especially to Dr. Mariano.

In regards to the black tea discussion, it prompted remembrance of an issue with this substance of which I found out the hard way:

I was trying to eliminate coffee from my diet, so I substituted it with tea – caffeinated in the morning, decaf at night. Initially, it did calm me, but because I steeped it a long time (sometimes an hour), and drank 4-5 cups per day it became toxic. What I did not know is that black tea is very high in flouride, and fluoride toxicity can mimic or trigger hypothyroidism issues. Oddly enough, many of the symptoms are the same. For a non-thyroid patient it might not be so bad, but during a hypo episode, it was enough to lay me up in bed for 3 days straight.

Herbal teas are not high in fluoride because they are not made from a tea leaf, but are made from herbs. Black teas include green tea and white tea.

Here are some initial links for reference…too much information to include in this post.

Symptom comparison:
http://www.poisonfluoride.com/pfpc/html/symptoms.html

Flouride in Food:
http://www.poisonfluoride.com/pfpc/html/f-_in_food.html

First-ever government review of fluoride/thyroid toxicology shows risk:
http://www.pr-inside.com/first-ever-government-review-of-fluoride-thyroid-r596428.htm

Estimated “Threshold” Doses for Skeletal Fluorosis:
http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/bone/fluorosis/intake/dose.html

Joint pain? It could be fluorosis:
[url] http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/Health__Science/Joint_pain_It_could_be_fluorosis/articleshow/825569.cms%5B/url%5D

[hardasnails1973]

@Mags 2158 wrote:

This is a great webite. I really have enjoyed reading through the articles and forum posts. Thank you for your generosity of time and knowledge, especially to Dr. Mariano.

In regards to the black tea discussion, it prompted remembrance of an issue with this substance of which I found out the hard way:

I was trying to eliminate coffee from my diet, so I substituted it with tea – caffeinated in the morning, decaf at night. Initially, it did calm me, but because I steeped it a long time (sometimes an hour), and drank 4-5 cups per day it became toxic. What I did not know is that black tea is very high in flouride, and fluoride toxicity can mimic or trigger hypothyroidism issues. Oddly enough, many of the symptoms are the same. For a non-thyroid patient it might not be so bad, but during a hypo episode, it was enough to lay me up in bed for 3 days straight.

Herbal teas are not high in fluoride because they are not made from a tea leaf, but are made from herbs. Black teas include green tea and white tea.

Here are some initial links for reference…too much information to include in this post.

Symptom comparison:
http://www.poisonfluoride.com/pfpc/html/symptoms.html

Flouride in Food:
http://www.poisonfluoride.com/pfpc/html/f-_in_food.html

First-ever government review of fluoride/thyroid toxicology shows risk:
http://www.pr-inside.com/first-ever-government-review-of-fluoride-thyroid-r596428.htm

Estimated “Threshold” Doses for Skeletal Fluorosis:
http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/bone/fluorosis/intake/dose.html

Joint pain? It could be fluorosis:
[url] http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/Health__Science/Joint_pain_It_could_be_fluorosis/articleshow/825569.cms%5B/url%5D

tannins bind with thyroid meds as well if drank with in an hour of so taking meds. Also how much diet soda do you drink..

[wapf fan]

I need help understanding fluoride. Is it a naturally occurring substance? Is my understanding correct that we do NOT need flouride? Also my 6-year old daughter has an erupting tooth that is mottled. Her dentist said it was either from too much or not enough fluoride. She has never taken fluoride supplements not used fluoridated toothpaste. So can food and water in California cause too much fluoride in her? Or can an undiagnosed thyroid problem cause the mottled tooth? Is the fluoride in food caused by those plants and animals being watered by fluoridated water or maybe because of residues of it now in our environment? I’m very confused and concerned. Thanks to anyone who can shed some light.

[Mags]

@wapf fan 2184 wrote:

I need help understanding fluoride. Is it a naturally occurring substance? Is my understanding correct that we do NOT need flouride? Also my 6-year old daughter has an erupting tooth that is mottled. Her dentist said it was either from too much or not enough fluoride. She has never taken fluoride supplements not used fluoridated toothpaste. So can food and water in California cause too much fluoride in her? Or can an undiagnosed thyroid problem cause the mottled tooth? Is the fluoride in food caused by those plants and animals being watered by fluoridated water or maybe because of residues of it now in our environment? I’m very confused and concerned. Thanks to anyone who can shed some light.

Hi wapf fan,
I understand you being concerned. A thyroid problem will not cause mottled teeth. Fluoride is very useful when used topically on teeth, but not so good when ingested. In large quanitities it will suppress thyroid function – which is why it was used as a hyperthyroid treatment. Certain foods have high flouride content. Black tea leaves contain naturally occuring fluoride – it is not from a polluted environment – it is just how God made it. However, the water we use to water things does contain fluoride, and yes, it does get in to our food supply. The flouride that is used in drinking water is actually toxic waste. 😮 There is a difference between natural fluoride (fluorine?) vs what is used commercially.

more information on effects of over fluoridation: http://www.scienceclarified.com/dispute/Vol-2/Does-the-addition-of-fluoride-to-drinking-water-cause-significant-harm-to-humans.html#ixzz0V44bhfLo
High levels are said to cause mottling of the teeth, deformities of the spine, joint problems, muscle wasting, neurological defects, arthritis, osteoporosis (a decrease in bone mass), hip fractures, infertility, genetic mutations, Down’s syndrome (a form of congenital mental retardation), and all forms of cancer. Lower levels are said to cause eczema, dermatitis, headache, chronic fatigue, muscular weakness, mouth ulcers, lower urinary tract infections, and the aggravation of existing allergies.

how much is toxic?:
http://www.scienceclarified.com/dispute/Vol-2/Does-the-addition-of-fluoride-to-drinking-water-cause-significant-harm-to-humans.html
In 1991, the U.S. Public Health Service reported that the range in total daily fluoride intake exceeded 6.5 mg/day. Recently, EPA data revealed that some individuals drink as much as 5.5 liters of 4.0 mg/L fluoridated water per day, which computes to a daily dose of fluoride of 22 mg/day. Such a dosage exceeds the crippling dosage of 10 to 20 mg/day published in 1993 by the National Research Council’s Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology in Health Effects of Ingested Fluoride . The 10 to 20 mg/day dosage was associated with crippling fluorosis when ingested over a period of 10 years.
Fluoride amounts as minimal as 0.04 mg/day have been shown to cause adverse health effects.

Before you get alarmed, most communities do not fluoridate at 4.0mg/L. Most are under 1mg per liter. Although lower doses of fluoride is not fatal, it can cause health problems, and yes, dental fluorosis. The CDC can provide information on how much fluoride is in water districts thru out the US:
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/MWF/Index.asp

where else does fluoride come from?
http://www.fluoridealert.org/f-sources.htm

What can we do? Get a water filter that filters fluoride (most don’t) and chlorine, and use toothpaste with fluoride as a topical treatment on teeth and don’t swallow it. Additional public advisory recommendation are here: http://www.fluoridealert.org/action.htm

But whether your daughter’s tooth mottling is due to too much or too little fluoride I can not say. Check here if you want more information:
http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/teeth/fluorosis/

I hope this helps. Sorry about your daughter’s tooth!

[wapf fan]

Thank you for the clarifications and links. I will do more research now! Thanks!

[Author]

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