Cardiovascular Effects of Compound Unique to Black Tea

An abundance of evidence suggests various health effects of green tea and flavonoids present in green tea.  Researchers from The Netherlands and Belgium investigated theaflavins – flavonoid compounds unique to black tea.  The team enrolled 24 healthy men and women, average age 63 years, in a six-day long study in which subjects received capsules with a single dose of catechins (500 mg), four varying doses of theaflavins (100 to 500 mg) or placebo.  Microcirculation was assessed at the start, and 2, 4, and 6 hours after ingestion of the capsule.  A single dose of 500 mg of theaflavins exerted “moderate effects … on peripheral microcirculation.”