Japanese scientists conducted a comparative analysis of three camellias — C. sinensis, C. irrawadiensis and C.taliensis — to determine or clarify the differences between their polyphenolic and other chemical composition. Camellia sinensis is the plant from which tea is usually produced. And C.irrawadiensis with C.taliensis are its very close relatives. Currently C.irrawadiensis is considered a Burmese endemic, but it is also grown in other countries, especially in different scientific institutions. Its leaves are suitable for making tea, and the plant itself is often used as a source of genetic material in breeding new varieties of the tea plant. Its characteristic difference from C. sinensis is noticeably larger beautiful regular-shaped white flowers with bright yellow stamens.
It turned out that C.irrawadiensis contains fewer catechins than C.sinensis and C.taliensis, but it surpasses its close relatives in the content of theobromines (an alkaloid that is close in action to caffeine and, essentially, good for health). In addition, C.irrawadiensis contains strictinin, known for its anti-allergic, laxative, antibacterial and hair-growth-promoting action. The main polyphenol in C.irrawadiensis is one of the ellagitannins, which, apparently, does not yet have its name, and its structure looks somewhat frightening (1,2-di-O-galloyl-4,6-O-(S)-hexahydroxydiphenoyl-b-Dglucose). Ellagitannins are good — they are contained, for example, in raspberries and have a high antioxidant effect. In C.sinensis, by the way, there are no ellagitannins, and in C.taliensis there are very few of them.
So, if you drink tea from C.irrawadiensis with raspberry jam, then nothing will be oxidized in the body at all.
