Tea polyphenol (TP), a kind of polyphenol, mainly contains tea catechin, with concentrations of 8%-20% in the tea leaves.  TP is an important chemical with health promoting benefits found in Tea.  Now TP has been widely applied in foods, cosmetics and the medicine industry. TP has shown an excellent antioxidative effect on fat and oil-containing foods, better than those of BHA, BHT

TP is also used as a food additive in chewing gum and toothpaste, to deodorize and eliminate halitosis, and anti-caries. It can prevent lipid oxidization in the body.  Moreover, TP can stabilize food color. TP pervades health-care products. So far, some new products (such as an oral liquid, capsule) have been sold in the market.  TP shows good potential in cosmetics.  The absorbing peak of the flavanols of TP appears in wave-length 200-300nm, so that TP is called the filter of ultraviolet rays. TP appears on the labels of anti-inflammation and itch-soothing products. Tea polyphenol supplies active -OH, which helps to eliminate excess free radicals.