Research Database
The only comprehensive database for clinical and medical research papers on the healthy benefits of matcha/green tea
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Cognitive Function
Matcha consumption leads to much higher intake of green tea phytochemicals compared to regular green tea. Previous research on caffeine, L-theanine, and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) repeatedly demonstrated benefits on cognitive performance.
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Heart Health
According to Harvard Medical School, “lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease may be as easy as drinking green tea. Studies suggest this light, aromatic tea may lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, which may be responsible for the tea's association with reduced risk of death from heart disease and stroke.”
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Mental Health
Matcha contains an amino acid called L-theanine, which has been shown to reduce physiological and psychological stresses. L-theanine also improves cognition and mood in a synergistic manner with caffeine, and promotes alpha wave production in the brain
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Cancer Prevention
Matcha/green tea has for many centuries been regarded as an essential part of good health in Japan and China. Many believe it can help reduce the risk of cancer, and a growing body of evidence backs this up.
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Immunity
A recent study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concluded that drinking matcha daily greatly enhanced the overall response of the immune system. The exceedingly high levels of antioxidants in matcha mainly take the form of polyphenols, catechins, and flavonoids, each of which aids the body’s defense in its daily struggles against free radicals that come from the pollution in your air, water and foods.
Learn MoreMost Recent Research Articles
Author: Zheng-He Lin and Yi-Ping Qi and Rong-Bing Chen and Fang-Zhou Zhang and Li-Song Chen
Self-rooted, 10-month-old, uniform tea [Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze cv. Huangguanyin] plants were supplied with 0, 40, 80, 160, 400 or 1000 μM phosphorus (P) for 17 weeks to determine how P-deficiency affects the quality of green tea. Leaf P concentration increased with increasing P supply. Whole plant dry weight (DW) increased as P supply increased from 0 to 160 μM, then remained little changed with further increasing P supply. The P-deficient green tea displayed decreased concentrations of water extract, total polyphenols, flavonoids, total free amino acids, theanine (Thea) and asparagic acid (Asp) + glutamic acid (Glu), increased concentrations of water soluble sugars, valine (Val), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), proline (Pro) and cysteine (Cys), and ratio of total polyphenols to total free amino acids, but unchanged concentrations of total catechins and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). In conclusion, the sensory and biochemical qualities of green tea were lowered by P-deficiency.
Author: Mi-Young Song and Shambhunath Bose and Ho-Jun Kim and Myeong-Jong Lee and Chi-Yeon Lim
Aim of the studyThe goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of mesotherapy treatment with Ephedra and green tea extract in combination on localized fat of overweight women subjects. Materials and methods Twenty-five overweight women, 20–35-years-of-age, body mass index ≥ 23 kg/m2 were randomly assigned into active (Ephedra + green tea, n = 13) and placebo (saline, n = 12) groups. A total eight herbal or saline mesotherapy administrations were performed into the thighs alternatively in two phases, each one comprising of four consecutive treatments on one thigh on weekly basis. Body composition parameters, circumference and subcutaneous fat area of thighs were measured before and after each phase, in addition to evaluating fasting free fatty acid (FFA) level of blood as well as adverse events of the therapy in volunteers. Results There were no significant changes in the body weight, BMI, body fat, and subcutaneous fat area of thigh within or between the groups, but the change in thigh circumference within the active group was significantly lower compared to that within the placebo group. The blood FFA level at 1 h after the first herbal therapy was significantly higher than that recorded at other time points of pre- and post-treatment measurements. Conclusions The herbal mesotherapy treatment produced a significant effect on thigh circumference and fasting-FFA level within the active group. Future studies that compensate for the limitations of this trial are required to fully ascertain the efficacy and safety of the proposed mesotherapy, and a very careful consideration is needed until then.
Author: Jianhui Hu and Yuqiong Chen and Dejiang Ni
Six Green tea powders (GTPs) were prepared from green tea with superfine grinding process. Their main quality components were determined by chemical methods and the scavenging effects of GTPs on ·OH and O2.− in vitro were evaluated by using deoxyribose assay and xanthine oxidase method, respectively. The results indicated that tea polyphenols and catechins contents decreased, while the contents of water-soluble carbohydrates in GTPs increased markedly, and no significant difference in amino acids and caffein with the decrease in particle size during superfine grinding, which benefited to reduce bitterness and preserve briskness of GTPs. Meanwhile, superfine grinding increased extraction of TPS markedly, which could lead to more potent scavenging capacity of GTPEs on ·OH. Based on the above analysis, it suggested that superfine grinding time should be controlled within 30–50 min, with ideal parameters of GTP: X: 4.93–4.75%, d50: 20.3–13.5 μm, ρbulk: 0.323–0.297 kg/m3, ρtapped: 0.666–0.614 kg/m3. Under this condition, we could prepare GTP with green and bright color, narrower and more uniform particle size distribution, as well as possessing more food processing property.
Author: E.E. Mehana and Abdel Raheim M.A. Meki and Khalid Majid Fazili
In the present study, the effect of green tea extract (GTE) on lead induced toxicity was studied in Sprague–Dawley rats. Four groups of rats were used in the study. Lead and GTE was given orally to the rats with drinking water for 8 weeks. Lead concentration in the digested tissues of liver was detected using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The activities of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were used as markers to evaluate the anti oxidant status of tissues. Lead exposure was found to attenuate the antioxidant potential of liver, which was however augmented when supplemented with green tea extract. Liver enzymes ALT, AST and ALP and serum protein determinations indicated the protective effects of green tea extract. Histopathological studies of liver revealed that supplementation of green tea extract resulted in mild degeneration and congestion of the blood vessels and an enhanced regenerative capacity.
Author: Iwona Rudkowska
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the predominant cause of mortality in type 2 diabetic (T2DM) patients. Dyslipidemia is a modifiable risk factor that should be treated early for CVD prevention. Further, dietary supplement intake is increasing in popularity worldwide. This review examines the recent meta-analyses and clinical studies on dietary supplements, specifically psyllium, garlic and green tea, on plasma lipids levels and glycemic control, as well as other potential CVD risk factors in T2DM patients. Generally, results demonstrate that psyllium supplements improve lipid profiles as well as glycemic control beyond a traditional diet in patients with T2DM. On the other hand, the results on the usefulness of garlic and green tea supplementation for dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia are uncertain. Overall, the addition of dietary supplements may be a therapeutic alternative to lower CVD risk factors in T2DM; however, more well-designed intervention studies are needed to assess the benefit of these dietary supplements.
Author: Wei-Li Zhu and Hai-Shui Shi and Yi-Ming Wei and Shen-Jun Wang and Cheng-Yu Sun and Zeng-Bo Ding and Lin Lu
Recent studies have shown that a higher consumption of green tea leads to a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms in elderly individuals. However, no studies have explored the antidepressant-like effect of green tea in preclinical models of depression. The aim of this study was to investigate the antidepressant-like effects and the possible mechanism of action of green tea in widely used mouse models of depression. Mice were orally administered green tea polyphenols (GTP; 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg) for 7 days and assessed in the forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) 60 min after the last GTP administration. Serum corticosterone and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) levels were also determined immediately after the FST. Green tea polyphenols significantly reduced immobility in both the FST and TST but did not alter locomotor activity in the open field test, suggesting that GTP has antidepressant-like effects, and this action did not induce nonspecific motor changes in mice. Green tea polyphenols also reduced serum corticosterone and ACTH levels in mice exposed to the FST. The present study demonstrated that GTP exerts antidepressant-like effects in a mouse behavioral models of depression, and the mechanism may involve inhibition of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis.
Author: A.A. Khalaf and Walaa A. Moselhy and Marwa I. Abdel-Hamed
The role of green tea in protection against neurotoxicity induced by lead acetate was investigated in rats. Five equal groups, each of ten rats were used. The first group was served as control, the second, third, and fourth groups were given lead acetate, lead acetate and green tea, and green tea only, respectively, for one month, the fifth group was administered lead acetate for one month followed by green tea for 15 days. Lead acetate was given orally at a dose of 100 mg/kg b. wt, while green tea was given in drinking water at a concentration of 5 g/L. Lead acetate administration induced loss of body weight and decreased concentration of reduced glutathione and SOD activity in brain tissues as well as significantly high DNA fragmentation and pathological changes. Co-administration of green tea with lead acetate significantly alleviated these adverse effects.
Author: Quan V. Vuong and Sing P. Tan and Costas E. Stathopoulos and Paul D. Roach
The green tea (Camellia sinensis) catechins are strong antioxidants linked with potential health benefits. Based on previous studies, it was hypothesised that the typical household conditions for brewing green tea in a teabag – 200 mL freshly boiled water for 2–3 min, as per the manufacturers’ instructions – were not sufficient to extract all the catechins and that a household microwave oven could be used to improve the extraction. The catechins and the two other main green tea components, caffeine and theanine, were monitored by HPLC. The typical household conditions only extracted 62% (61 mg/g tea), 76% (24 mg/g) and 80% (10 mg/g) of the catechins, caffeine and theanine, respectively, from the five varieties of teabags analysed. However, using microwave assisted extraction (MAE) by first brewing a teabag in 200 mL freshly boiled water for 0.5 min before irradiation for 1 min in a microwave oven (hot MAE), improved the extraction of the catechins and caffeine to 80% (80 mg/g) and 92% (29 mg/g), respectively, although the extraction of theanine was not affected. Therefore, the hot MAE technique could help maximise the extraction of the catechins for those who consume green tea for the potential health benefits of the catechins.
Author: T. Malik and D.J. Haleem
Introduction: HAL elicits NAS along Parkinsonism. HAL induces c-Fos responsiveness in a distributed anxiety-related neural scheme, selected neuronal population of nucleus accumbens. Mood deficits by HAL metabolically effect via diet restriction that reduced body weight. GTE is known to control appetite and body weight while exerting anxiolytic effects. Aim: The current study testifies the hypothesis that GTE may control HAL elicited NAS with reducing Parkinsonism. Methods: Rats (n=6) were treated with one of the four treatments; oral fluid [water/GTE (1 gm/liter)] plus saline; or oral fluid plus i.p HAL (1 mg/kg/day) administration. Behavioral assessments and neurochemical analysis were performed following six weeks of treatments. Results: suggest that HAL induced decreases in fluid, food intake and growth rate were greater in GTE treated animals. GTE was shown to induce anxiogenic behavior examined in light dark box transitional test but not in fear like exploratory behavior on elevated plus maze and motor deficits on rota rod performance. HAL induced locomotor activity was suppressed, innate aversive and fear like exploratory behaviors were greater in GTE than water drinking animals. HAL induced serotonergic metabolism was increased in the caudate and nucleus accumbens and decreased in the serotonin availability in the rest of the brain regions of GTE treated animals. HAL induced decreased dopamine was increase din the nucleus accumbens of GTE drinking than water drinking animals. Conclusion: Potential mechanism involved in the greater anorexiogenic effects of GTE and greater HAL induced NAS plus Parkinsonism in GTE treated animals is proposed for demonstration in this meeting.
Author: Susanne M. Henning and Piwen Wang and Jonathan Said and Clara Magyar and Brandon Castor and Ngan Doan and Carmen Tosity and Aune Moro and Kun Gao and Luyi Li and David Heber
It has been demonstrated in various animal models that the oral administration of green tea (GT) extracts in drinking water can inhibit tumor growth, but the effects of brewed GT on factors promoting tumor growth, including oxidant damage of DNA and protein, angiogenesis and DNA methylation, have not been tested in an animal model. To explore these potential mechanisms, brewed GT was administered instead of drinking water to male severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice with androgen-dependent human LAPC4 prostate cancer cell subcutaneous xenografts. Tumor volume was decreased significantly in mice consuming GT, and tumor size was significantly correlated with GT polyphenol (GTP) content in tumor tissue. There was a significant reduction in hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha and vascular endothelial growth factor protein expression. GT consumption significantly reduced oxidative DNA and protein damage in tumor tissue as determined by 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine/deoxyguanosine ratio and protein carbonyl assay, respectively. Methylation is known to inhibit antioxidative enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase pi to permit reactive oxygen species promotion of tumor growth. GT inhibited tumor 5-cytosine DNA methyltransferase 1 mRNA and protein expression significantly, which may contribute to the inhibition of tumor growth by reactivation of antioxidative enzymes. This study advances our understanding of tumor growth inhibition by brewed GT in an animal model by demonstrating tissue localization of GTPs in correlation with inhibition of tumor growth. Our results suggest that the inhibition of tumor growth is due to GTP-mediated inhibition of oxidative stress and angiogenesis in the LAPC4 xenograft prostate tumor in SCID mice.