Posted by KaraS on August 21, 2004, at 3:19:05
In reply to Re: Green tea catechins and noradrenaline » KaraS, posted by Larry Hoover on August 20, 2004, at 8:36:24
> > > > I copied part of this post from another site to get people's reactions to it:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > "... I think I've discovered something! I read on a site somewhere that green tea contains something called "catechins". As well as being antioxidant, they stop noradreneline (the neurotransmitter responsible for energy and alertness) from being broken down. Here's a good link that explains the "science bit": http://www.drumlib.com/dp/000018A.htm
> > >
> > > Ya, that's a nice overview of the chemistry. COMT inhibition increases noradrenaline.
>
> OK, the risk of just answering off the top of my head shows itself, here. I made lots of assumptions. COMT inhibition increase other chemicals, too. Dopamine, adrenaline, certain estrogen metabolites, and so on. There is a whole host of new ideas coming up on Pubmed.
>
> > > > Anyway, I followed this person's subsequent posts and with a few additional weeks, she is still feeling great and attributing it to the green tea catechins. Could something like green tea possibly have that much effect or do you think it's in large part the placebo thing?
> > > >
> > > > -K
> > >
> > > Ya, it can have a dramatic effect, particularly as neuronal noradrenaline is spilling into the general circulation. Why invoke the evil placebo? What works works. Further evidence of adrenal involvement in your own syndrome, by the by.
> > >
> > > Lar
> > >
> >
> > I invoked the "evil placebo" because I was doing research on the net and couldn't find anything to say that the catechins could raise the NE levels anywhere in the body.
>
> There's a ton of stuff confirming that, on Pubmed. Don't be afraid to poke around there. You'll understand more than you think you do. And each time, you'll understand more than the last time.
>
> http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi
I have been on PubMed. I just never think to go there for alternative stuff. Actually, I never think to go there first for other stuff either - or at least I haven't in a while. I think I'll change that now that I see how much more info you got that way on the green tea.>
> Just enter catechin and COMT in the search bar. If a particular paper seems to lead you somewhere interesting, hit the "Related articles" button, off to the right. As often as not, you'll follow a thread more specific to what you're looking for.
>
> > Other than the article the original poster sited which was trying to sell the stuff, I found no mention of this COMT function.
>
> I dunno. I did OK on google. I'd guess my keyword searching is tighter than yours. I used the specific catechin (ECGC) and COMT as search terms. Literally "ECGC COMT", without the quotes, in the google search bar. Those are unusual text strings, and you don't get a lot of "noise" hits, while getting ones which are specific to COMT.I definitely should have added "COMT" or something more definitive to the search like you did.
> > All I kept seeing was talk about its antioxidant effects.
>
> See above.
>
> > If it's this easy to boost NE, then why don't more people use it or know about it? Might this aspect of it be good for me now?
>
> It's a rather recent finding. And it isn't specific to NE. Certainly, if you're deficient in systemic NE, due to adrenal insufficiency, then green tea catechins are going to give a boost because they have the effect similar to increased adrenal output.I'm still amazed at how little press and hype it's getting a far.
> > I'm not sure I understand why stimulants are bad for someone with adrenal fatigue but taking tyrosine or phenylalanine aren't ... or why artificially boosting NE isn't bad for me now.
>
> Stimulants are pretty much immune to the natural regulatory processes of feedback inhibition. Supplying extra raw materials doesn't change your body's regulatory ability, it just gives you something to regulate.
>
> > P.S. I don't understand your last sentence at all.
> >
> > -K
>
> Two paragraphs up, I give my opinion on that. Based on a number of assumptions, if central (central nervous system) NE spills out into peripheral circulation, due to the effects of the green tea catechins on COMT (inhibition), then it has the effect of mimicking adrenal output. Peripheral COMT inhibition would further extend that artificial NE "signal", by increasing the peripheral half-life, too.
>
> Lar
Sounds like really good stuff to me. I definitely want to try it.Kara
poster:KaraS
thread:378901
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20040815/msgs/380268.html