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Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world and may be associated with reduced heart disease rates. Theaflavins, which are formed in the production of black tea, have been suggested being responsible for the blood-cholesterol-lowering (BCL) effects of tea. We hypothesized that the effect of theaflavins on BCL could be through interference in the formation of dietary mixed micelles, which could result in reduced intestinal cholesterol absorption. Micelles were produced by mixing oleic acid, bile acids, lyso-phosphatidylcholine, and cholesterol. Theaflavin-treated micelles/particles were analyzed using electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, and light-scattering particle size measurements. A dose-dependent inhibitory effect of theaflavins on the incorporation of ¹⁴C-labeled cholesterol into micelles and a theaflavin-dependent increase in …