Tannins are a group of phytochemicals present in many plant foods. One important source of tannins for humans is black tea. The tannins in tea are produced from the flavonoids in green tea when black tea is fermented. Tannins have low bioavailability, but this does not mean they are not important nutritionally. Tannins have been shown to have a number of health effects including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, anticancer, and cardioprotective effects. It may seem contradictory that a nutrient with low bioavailability is so beneficial to health, but there are indirect ways that tannins may be beneficial. One explanation is that tannins are metabolised in the gut by bacteria and other microorganisms, and it is the metabolites that then confer health effects following absorption. Evidence suggests that the metabolites of tannins are bioavailable and studies show that synthesis of these metabolites correlated with some of the beneficial effects attributed to the parent tannin molecule.
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