The Effect of an Antioxidant Rich Fruit Tea on Lung Function

Antioxidants are present in many fruits, namely berries and are responsible for the prevention of oxidative stress. Prolonged oxidative stress can cause Diabetes, Hypertension, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Asthma. However, consumption of fresh fruit, rich in antioxidants, has been reported to have a positive effect on individuals with lung disease and ex-smokers, but not much research has been undertaken into the effect on healthy lung function. Unfortunately, fresh fruit is difficult to keep fresh for periods of time, as well as suffering from sourcing difficulties, therefore, fruit tea has potential to administer antioxidants to the individual, and there is little to no research into the effect of fruit tea on healthy lung function. The aim was to identify if the administration of fruit tea would improve or maintain lung function in healthy individuals. A Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma Assay was undertaken to identify the antioxidant content of six teas, with a view to administer one to participants, alongside a control, over 7 days. The Total Polyphenol Content was identified for each tea, to compare both levels. There were sixteen participants recruited, however 4 withdrew from the study and 2 did not produce enough measurable lung function results. The lung function measurements included measuring Vital Capacity, Forced Vital Capacity and the Forced Expiratory Volume in one second. The assays led to the administration of Tesco Red Berry Tea and identified that Tetley’s Black Tea was surprisingly high in both antioxidants (9.68mM±0.60) and polyphenols (1279.63±0.49mM). The results from the lung function measurements indicated that there was no significant change in lung function, any change with a p-value ≥0.05 was considered significant. Keywords: Antioxidant, Polyphenol, Fruit Tea, Lung Function, Berry, Fruit