茶葉苦澀成份能強化骨質......是預防骨質疏鬆症的方向

A few weeks ago the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

紅茶の苦みで骨強く…骨粗しょう症予防薬に道

2015年02月24日 17時00分

　紅茶に含まれる苦み成分に、骨が壊れるのを抑える働きがあることをマウスの実験で確認したと、大阪大などの研究チームが発表した。

　「骨粗しょう症の予防薬開発につなげたい」としている。論文が、２４日の科学誌ネイチャーメディシン電子版に掲載された。

　骨には、カルシウムでできた硬い組織を作る「骨芽細胞」と古くなった組織を壊す「破骨細胞」があり、バランスを取って骨の強度を保っている。年を取ってバランスが崩れると、骨粗しょう症が起きる。

　大阪大の石井優教授と西川恵三助教らが、破骨細胞が過剰になった骨粗しょう症のマウスに、紅茶の苦みや赤い色の成分に含まれる物質（ポリフェノール）を３日に１回ずつ注射したところ、３週間後には破骨細胞が減り、骨の強度もほぼ正常になった。ただ、１回分の投与量を体重６０キロの人がまかなうには、紅茶を一度に６０杯飲む必要があり、ふつうに飲んでも改善は見込めそうもないという。西川助教は「ポリフェノールをもとに薬やサプリメントを開発すれば、骨粗しょう症予防に効果が見込める」と話している。

(試譯文)

A research team from the Osaka University announced that by an experiment on mice they confirmed that the bitterness ingredient included in tea was working towards reducing bones breaking.

 Supposedly they wanted to "link it to the preventive medication development on osteoporosis". A thesis had appeared in a science magazine the Nature Medicine electronic edition on the 24th (February).

 In the bone, there was the "Osteoblast" by which hard tissues made of calcium were made and the "Osteoclast" which broke down the bones when they aged. When a balance was maintained, the strength of bones could be maintained. When one aged and lost its balance, osteoporosis occurred.

Yu Ishii the Professor from the Osaka University together with Assistant Professor Nishikawa Keizo and others once every 3 days injected a substance that formed the bitterness of tea and the red color component (polyphenol) to a mouse with osteoporosis caused by excessive osteoclast. Three weeks later the osteoclast was reduced, and most of the bones recovered normal strength too. However, it was necessary to serve 60 cups of tea in total for a person of 60 kilometers in weight in one prescription. It was said that they did not think improvements could be expected in ordinarily drinking. Assistant Professor Nishikawa Keizo said that "if medication or supplement based on the polyphenol is further developed, osteoporosis prevention effects can be expected".

It seems that apart from taking calcium as a supplement, some ingredients in tea may also be useful in reducing bone breaking.