Green tea polyphenols provide photoprotection and improve physiological parameters of human skin
ULRIKE HEINRICH1*, HAGEN TRONNIER1, SILKE DE SPIRT2, WILHELM STAHL2
*Corresponding author
1. Universität Witten-Herdecke, Institut für Experimentelle Dermatologie Alfred-Herrhausen-Str. 44, Witten, 58455, Germany
2. Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Institut für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie I, Medizinische Fakultät P.O. Box 101007, Düsseldorf, 40001, Germany
Abstract
In a recent study 60 female volunteers (40-65 years) were randomly distributed into an intervention or controlgroup (13). Over a period of 12 weeks the participants consumed a beverage with green tea polyphenols, providing 1402mg total catechins/day or a matched control beverage. Photoprotection, skin structure and function were measured atbaseline (wk 0), wk 6 and wk 12. Following exposure of skin to 1.25 minimal erythemal dose (MED) of radiation from a solarsimulator, UV-induced erythema was significantly decreased in the intervention group. Several parameters related to skinstructure and function were improved including elasticity, density, roughness, scaling and water homeostasis. Long-termintake of the green tea polyphenol beverage increased blood flow in the skin.
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