Longevity
EGCG and 67LR: Green Tea's Longevity Potential
EGCG from green tea activates the 67LR receptor, preventing muscle loss, reducing inflammation, and strengthening the immune system—a mechanism that makes green tea a true longevity tool.
Longevity
EGCG from green tea activates the 67LR receptor, preventing muscle loss, reducing inflammation, and strengthening the immune system—a mechanism that makes green tea a true longevity tool.
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A 2015 study observed in real-time what EGCG – the main molecule in green tea – does in muscle (of test animals). Of course, in vitro, which means not in a living organism. And the researchers discovered something interesting: EGCG caused Foxo1, a protein, to disappear from the cell nucleus.
What's special about that? Well, Foxo1 is part of a rhythmic system in the cell, and it leaves the nucleus whenever insulin or growth hormones (e.g. IGF1) rise and act on the cell. Insulin and IGF1 have anabolic effects – Foxo1, on the other hand, has catabolic effects. The latter is certainly important when you're in a fasted state. But in principle, cells need the anabolic input via insulin and IGF1.
In our modern world, it's unfortunate that many people become insulin-resistant due to energy abundance. Insulin and IGF1, both of which work through the insulin receptor, simply don't work well anymore. The consequences are chronic inflammation, damaged arteries, shrinking muscles, shrinking bones ... and so on. That's why researchers are trying to find (natural) substances that can reverse this.
And so researchers were able to observe in 2015 that EGCG also removes Foxo1 from the cell nucleus, which suggests that EGCG could act like insulin and IGF1. However, in the same study they also proved that EGCG doesn't bind to the insulin receptor ... but rather to some other receptor. Oh! Mysterious.
Apparently the researchers weren't aware that this mysterious receptor had already been described in 2004. Because EGCG can – incredibly – act like a hormone and selectively activate receptors in the body. And this receptor is called in short form 67LR – better known as: 67-kDa laminin receptor. This „evolutionarily highly conserved" receptor is ancient and found in very many animals. It plays a role in a multitude of biological processes.
The Japanese in particular seem interested in studying the effects of EGCG via 67LR. And so two studies from Japan, from the same lab, from 2020 and 2022 respectively, show very, very exciting findings. The researchers describe that EGCG binds to this mysterious receptor, which then does the following in cells:
Akt1 is the interface. Because the activated insulin receptor also allows Akt1 to be activated, which in turn causes Foxo1 to disappear from the cell nucleus. In 2020, a study then confirmed exactly that: EGCG actually works via 67LR and thus Akt1 in the muscle to inhibit protein breakdown – caused by Foxo1-activated proteins. Sensational!
Besides the insulin receptor, activated by the two hormones insulin and IGF1, there thus appears to be a third, potent pathway to deactivate genes that have muscle-preserving effects. Namely, 67LR, activated by EGCG. Incredible.
But that's not all. 67LR, when activated by EGCG, shows a multitude of positive effects:
And among other reasons, green tea and also black tea score so well in so many studies. They work via EGCG and thus via 67LR activity quite potently. For this reason, everyone should drink a cup of green or black tea now and then, or take an EGCG capsule. It will do your body good.
Oh yes, one more thing: This 67LR receptor is „strongly upregulated by retinoic acid" according to the authors – does that ring a bell for some of you? Retinoic acid is also a hormone and is formed in the body from vitamin A. Therefore, vitamin A and EGCG seem to work synergistically. Something to keep in mind.
