Long-Term Consumption of Green Tea Can Reduce the Degree of Depression in Postmenopausal Women by Increasing Estradiol

Abstract

Postmenopausal women face a higher risk of depression due to a combination of social and physiological factors. As a beverage rich in a variety of bioactive substances, green tea has significant effects on metabolism, inflammation and endocrine, and may reduce the risk of depression, but few studies have looked at the effects of green tea on postmenopausal women. Therefore, we designed this study to investigate the effects of long-term green tea consumption on inflammation, endocrine and depression levels in postmenopausal women. We investigated a tea-producing village and eventually included 386 postmenopausal women, both in the tea drinking and control groups. The results showed that there were significant differences in the degree of insomnia, degree of depression, BMI, SII and estradiol between the two groups. And, green tea consumption may reduce the risk of depression through the mediating pathway of sleep, SII and estradiol. In summary, long-term green tea consumption can reduce the risk of depression in postmenopausal women by reducing inflammation and increasing estradiol. This kind of living habit deserves further promotion.

Keywords: depression; green tea; hormone; inflammation.

Figure 1

Relationship between different factors and depression degree.

Figure 2

Mediation model. * p< 0.05. ** p< 0.01. *** p< 0.001.

Figure 3

Catechins produced by green tea can affect the conversion of androgen to estradiol by inhibiting the activity of aromatase, which may lead to lower estradiol concentrations in the short term. However, long-term inhibition may activate the negative feedback mechanism, leading to increased expression of aromatase, promoting the conversion of androgen to estradiol and thereby increasing the estradiol concentration.