Health-promoting functions and related comprehensive molecular mechanisms of tea: from the perspectives of anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering, glucose-lowering and anti-cancer effects

Abstract

Owing to special aroma and taste, tea has been one type of popular beverages all over the world. According to the processing technologies, tea can be divided into six major categories, including green tea, white tea, yellow tea, Oolong tea, black tea and dark tea. Recently, tea has attracted increasing attention owing to its anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering, glucose-lowering and anti-cancer effects. These health-promoting activities are closely associated with bioactive substances in the tea, such as polyphenols, pigments, polysaccharides, alkaloids, amino acids and saponins. Nowadays, unhealthy dietary pattern, especially high-fat diet, significantly increases the incidence of inflammation, obesity, hyperglycemia and cancer. These diseases pose a great threat to human health and have been serious public health problems. In view of above biological functions, tea possesses the potential to prevent and/or alleviate these diseases. Specifically, this review comprehensively summarizes the anti-inflammatory, lipid-lowering, glucose-lowering and anti-cancer mechanisms of tea, which will provide a theoretical basis of tea for the development of functional foods.