With people's lives becoming increasingly detached from natural environments, work and life pressures increasing, environmental pollution worsening, and the arrival of an aging society, human immunity is declining, leading to an increase in diseases related to immunity.

The body's immune system and immune regulation are shown in Figure 1. Generally speaking, except for traumatic diseases, all human diseases are related to immune dysregulation (decreased or overactive).

Figure 1 The Body's Immune System and Immune Regulation

Anhua Dark Tea is one of the representative products among China's six major tea categories, specifically dark teas. It is made through a preliminary processing procedure involving spreading out, fixation, initial kneading, piling, re-kneading, and drying to produce crude dark tea, which is then refined into finished products.

Due to differences in fresh leaf picking standards or crude tea production, as well as different processing techniques, Anhua Dark Tea mainly includes Fu Brick Tea, Flower Brick Tea, Dark Brick Tea, and Xiang Pointed Tea (including Sky Point, Tribute Point, and Raw Point).

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Immunoregulatory Activity of Anhua Dark Tea During the Piling Processing Technique, polyphenol compounds in Anhua Dark Tea undergo a series of complex enzymatic and non-enzymatic oxidation reactions under the action of microorganisms, forming phenolic compounds more complex than those found in Black Tea. The content of components such as amino acids, crude fiber, and soluble sugars in the tea changes significantly due to microbial action. Compared to other types of tea, dark tea contains notably higher levels of alkaline polyphenols, tea polysaccharides, organic acids, and theaflavins, which have significant effects in enhancing immunity. Additionally, the fungus Eurotium cristatum in Fu Brick Tea not only improves its color, aroma, and taste but also has functions in lowering blood Sugar, antioxidation, and enhancing immunity.

Increasing research both domestically and internationally indicates that Anhua Dark Tea and its active components possess immunoregulatory functions. They can improve human health levels and reduce disease risks through antibacterial and antiviral effects, regulating inflammatory immunity, metabolic immunity, gut immunity, and tumor immunity (Figure 2).

Figure 2 The Immune-Regulating Effects of Dark Tea

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Immune-Regulating Mechanisms of Anhua Dark Tea

(1) Anhua Dark Tea Regulates Inflammatory Immunity

Inflammation is a common pathological process clinically. After inflammatory factors act on the body, they cause damage to tissue cells while also inducing increased disease resistance in the body. Studies have found that Anhua Dark Tea shows significant regulatory effects on inflammation in mouse models infected with E. coli, induced lung oxidative stress damage by cigarette smoke, and high-fat diets.

(2) Anhua Dark Tea Regulates Metabolic Immunity In recent years, extensive research has revealed a specific connection between adipose tissue and the immune system. Dyslipidemia promotes the accumulation of oxidized lipids within endothelial cells, activates oxidative stress responses, and induces the release of inflammatory factors, ultimately leading to inflammation. Studies have found that Anhua Dark Tea not only regulates lipid metabolism disorders but also improves inflammation caused by abnormal carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. (3) Anhua Dark Tea Regulates Gut Immunity Apart from the immune function of the blood lymphatic system, 70% of immune cells reside within the gut, where the immune system plays a vital role in human health. Studies show that Fu Brick Tea intervention can alter the structure and function of gut microbiota. Among them, Eurotium cristatum is the main fungal species in Fu Brick Tea, possessing antimicrobial activity. It can repair damage to the gut immune barrier and reduce the expression of pro-inflammatory factors and oxidative stress.

(4) Anhua Dark Tea Regulates Cancer Immunity The body's immune function is closely related to the occurrence and development of tumors. Tumors are more likely to occur when host immunity is low or suppressed. Many studies have proven that active components in dark tea can enhance the body's immunity when used in conjunction with radiotherapy and chemotherapy for cancer treatment, better killing tumor cells.

(5) Anhua Dark Tea Inhibits Pathogenic Microbial Infections Common virus-induced infectious diseases include AIDS, influenza, SARS, and viral hepatitis, while bacterial-induced infectious diseases include tuberculosis, invasive meningococcal disease, and invasive pneumococcal disease. During the body's battle against pathogenic microorganisms, immunological inflammation can be triggered, and sustained inflammation can lead to bodily injury, organ failure, and even death. Studies have found that tea possesses strong antiviral activity, with target genes functionally enriched in COVID-19 infection and influenza A, and it can inhibit inflammation.

This article systematically discusses the immunoregulatory activity of Anhua Dark Tea, including mechanisms for regulating inflammatory immunity, metabolic immunity, gut immunity, cancer immunity, and inhibiting pathogenic microbial infections, as well as the immunoregulatory effects of active components such as tea polysaccharides, organic acids, and tea pigments. This aims to provide new ideas for further research on the Health benefits of Anhua Dark Tea.

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