Chemical Components of Pu-erh

[SlowOx]

Chemical Components of Pu-erh.
After going through piles and piles of academic research on pu-erh, I decided to start at a molecular level and understand a little more about the components of pu-erh. Everyday, I will post a little research on one chemical component at a time. Fair warning: I'm going to cherry-pick my info. If there is anyone out there interested, I hope you find this useful or entertaining. Many components will also reflect those found in other types of teas. Enjoy.

CATEGORY (1) Flavan-3-ols and their derivatives.
#1 Flavanol:

Flavanols are naturally-occurring antioxidant compounds found in things like tea, cocoa, wine, and a number of fruits and vegetables. There are some indications that flavanols may help to reduce cardiovascular disease risk, and recent research has also suggested a possible role in promoting brain health. For example, a 2007 study found that feeding mice diets with a high flavanol content resulted in increased dendritic spine and capillary density in the dentate gyrus, a structure associated with the hippocampus and known to play an important role in memory. Dendritic spines are extensions that protrude from dendrites to make synapses with other neurons; increased dendritic spine density may represent the formation of new synapses and the ability to handle more complex cognitive processes. Greater capillary density allows for more cerebral blood flow to the region, which can augment functionality as well. Accordingly, the researchers conducting the study also observed improved spatial memory in rodents on the high-flavanol diet. With these promising results in mind, another group of researchers recently explored the effects of flavanol intake on brain function in humans, focusing specifically on activity in the dentate gyrus and associated memory improvements.
Flavanol

[Drax]

While I appreciate your intent, perhaps you could cite references when you copy and paste things from other locations? Doing an exact search on your definition's first sentence brings up a laughably long (and bad) list of sites that are all copying the same information....

[SlowOx]

perhaps you could cite references when you copy and paste things from other locations

Link has been provided. The text contains link that source to pub med.

[Drax]

Thanks!

Curious... who writes "Neuroscientifically Challenged"? There's absolutely no information on the writer(s).

The answer to this question is important -- similar to why it's important to cite your information. This whole area is full of misinformation that has been repeated as though true, largely deriving from businesses trying to sell products or from self-appointed subject matter experts who are saying stuff without any evidence.

Fortunately this particular blog appears to cite actual scientific papers. But even in the paragraph you cited, there's a bit of loose terminology. If you, or people reading this stuff, are not familiar with the basic differences in terms like flavanol, flavanols, or flavan-3-ol (or flavan-4-ol, or why there's no such thing as flavan-2-ol), then this information is likely to add to the confusion....

[SlowOx]

Great point

[SlowOx]

#2 Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)


EGCG is an abundant and powerful antioxidant in green tea. It is believed that the main bioactive constituents of green tea are polyphenols, including phenolic acids and flavonoids. Flavan-3-ols or catechins are the most predominant compounds in green tea accounting for 16%–30% of the dry weight. EGCG is the ester of Epigallocatechin and gallic acid, as well as the major catechin in tea.
EGCG