Green tea consumption and the management of adrenal stress hormones in adolescents who stutter

Abdulaziz Almudhi; Sami A Gabr

doi:10.3892/br.2022.1515

Green tea consumption and the management of adrenal stress hormones in adolescents who stutter

Biomed Rep. 2022 Apr;16(4):32. doi: 10.3892/br.2022.1515. Epub 2022 Feb 24.

Authors

Abdulaziz Almudhi^{1

2}, Sami A Gabr³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha 61481, Saudi Arabia.
² Speech Language Pathology Unit, King Khalid University, Abha 61481, Saudi Arabia.
³ Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt.

Abstract

Green tea and its polyphenolic compounds have been shown to exert positive effects in individuals with psychological disorders. The protective role of green tea against stuttering or its related consequences, depression, anxiety and stress, were evaluated in adolescents with moderate stuttering (MS). A total of 60 adolescents aged (12-18) years old were enrolled in this study. Patients were classified according to standardized test material Stuttering Severity Instrument, 4th Edition was used to estimate the severity of stuttering; participants were classified into two groups: a normal healthy group (n=30) and a MS group (n=30). The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale and General Health Questionnaire were used to estimate the degree of depression, anxiety and stress as well as general mental health. The physiological profile of stress hormones, as a measure of the response to green tea response, was also measured amongst participants. Adrenal stress hormones cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), acetylcholine (ACTH), corticosterone and the cortisol:DHEA ratio were assayed. In addition, the constituent green tea polyphenols and their quantities were determined using liquid chromatography analysis. Decaffeinated green tea was administered six cups/day for 6 weeks, and this significantly improved the depression, anxiety, stress and mental health consequences associated with stuttering in adolescents. In addition, increased consumption of green tea significantly reduced elevated levels of adrenal stress hormones; cortisol, DHEA, ACTH and corticosterone, and increased the cortisol:DHEA ratio in the control and adolescents who stuttered. The data showed that drinking six cups of decaffeinated green tea, which is enriched in catechins (1,580 mg) and other related polyphenols, was sufficient to improve the consequences of mental health associated with stuttering in younger aged individuals.

Keywords: adolescents; adrenal stress hormones; catechins; decaffeinated green tea; green tea polyphenols; liquid chromatography; stuttering.

Grants and funding

Funding: This project was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University (Abha, Saudi Arabia; grant no. RGP2/205/43). The funding body played no role in the study design, manuscript writing, or decision to submit the manuscript for publication.