Can Tea and Multivitamins Add Years to Your Life?

Interesting article on tea and multivitamins from Susan Piergeorge, M.S., R.D., a registered dietician and a proponent of good health for baby boomer women. Her career has included nutritional consulting, health promotion, writing, culinary and food industry experience. Read Susan's analysis of how tea and multivitamins may play a part in maintaining a healthy lifestyle for women at midlife! Be sure to Read Susan's blog for more great articles.

Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong recently compared the length of telomeres in tea drinkers. Led by Ruth Chan, the researchers found that telomere length was longer in individuals who drank an average of three cups of tea per day vs. one quarter of a cup per day.

So, what's a telomere?

A telomere is likened to a bookend on the end of a chromosome (a long strand of DNA). They play a role in cell division and protect the chromosome from fusing or binding with other DNA. Each time a cell divides, a telomere will shorten. If the telomere becomes too short, DNA damage may occur. In some cases, this process may be linked to cancer, as certain cells will stop replicating while others continue to grow. Some scientists will measure the age of a cell by the length of its telomere. The shorter the telomere, the less likely it will continue to replicate, indicating a somewhat "aged" telomere. Telomeres are also susceptible to oxidative stress. Here's where tea comes in.

Antioxidants can play a role in slowing down oxidation. Tea contains polyphenols, which are a group of antioxidants. Green tea has a polyphenol content of ~30-40% , while black tea has ~3-10%. This particular study evaluated 976 Chinese men and 1,030 Chinese women over 65. The higher the tea intake, the longer the telomere length.

Tea and vitamins?

The US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences noted that in a study of 584 women between the ages of 35 and 74, those who consumed multivitamins on a regular basis possessed longer telomere length. The researchers in this particular study noted that multivitamin users tend to live a healthier lifestyle and may consume a higher level of micronutrients. More specifics will need to be evaluated before a solid conclusion can be linked.

Additional references:

1. Daniells, S. “Tea consumers may have younger biological age.” http://www.nutraingredients.com/content/view/print/257355, Accessed August 30. 2009.

2. Stibich M. "Telomeres and aging-understanding cellular aging." http://longevity.about.com/od/researchandmedicine/p/telomeres.htm Accessed September 5, 2009.

3. Chan R., Woo J., Suen E., Leung J., Tang, N. "Chinese tea consumption is associated with longer telomere length in elderly Chinese men." Brit J Nutr doi:10.1017/S0007114509991383.