Catechins and GABA in Controlling Blood Pressure

Spontaneously hypertensive rats study

A study was conducted on spontaneously hypertensive rats, which were divided into two groups: A and B. Rats in group A were fed regular food, while rats in group B were fed food containing 0.5% catechins for 16 weeks, after which their food was exchanged. Results of the study, depicted in Fig.1, showed that the blood pressure of SHR was controlled by adding catechins to their food. Additionally, in an experiment conducted on SHR-Stroke Prone (SHRSP), fewer cerebrovascular accidents were reported, and the survival period increased by over 15%. This anti-hypertensive effect has also been observed in human beings, as both the highest and lowest blood pressure are lowered by catechins.

GABA tea and its effect on blood pressure

Apart from catechins, GABA tea is also known to have an anti-hypertensive effect. GABA, or r-Amino Butyric Acid, is an amino acid that is found in high concentrations in GABA tea produced after 5 hours of stock after plucking. It has been reported that GABA tea contains 150mg of GABA, which is more effective in controlling high blood pressure than regular green tea, which contains only 10mg to 10s of mg of GABA.