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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
Chemopreventive potential of the tannase-mediated biotransformation of green tea
Author: J.A. Macedo and L.R. Ferreira and L.E. Camara and J.C. Santos and A. Gambero and G.A. Macedo and M.L. Ribeiro
Green tea (Camellia sinensis) is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. The cancer chemopreventive qualities of green tea have been well documented. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is often described as the most potently chemopreventive green tea catechin; however, the low bioavailability of EGCG is a limiting factor for its biological effect. Thus, the aim of this work was to test the chemopreventive potential of green tea extract and EGCG after tannase-mediated hydrolysis. The results showed that the biotransformed compounds retained most of the beneficial properties of the original compounds, and some beneficial properties were improved in the biotransformed compounds. Biotransformation of EGCG decreased its toxicity without affecting its antiproliferative effects. Furthermore, human cells gene expression profiling showed that the biotransformed compounds modulated the expression of several genes related to carcinogenesis. These results demonstrate the benefits of the biotechnological modification of natural food molecules, allowing the improvement of the nutraceutical potential of a beverage as green tea.
Extraction of epigallocatechin gallate from green tea via modified supercritical CO2: Experimental, modeling and optimization
Author: S.M. Ghoreishi and E. Heidari
In this study, modeling of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) extraction from green tea via supercritical carbon dioxide with ethanol as an entrainer was developed. The modeling is based on the differential mass balance between the solid and supercritical (SC) phases. The model was solved numerically and was successfully validated with experimental data. The effects of main extraction variables such as pressure, temperature, CO2 flow rate and dynamic time were investigated on the extraction recovery via the validated model. In addition, effective extraction variables were optimized with genetic algorithm in order to achieve maximum extraction recovery. The optimal values were obtained to be 19.79 MPa, 41.2 °C, 1.7 mL/min and 116.3 min (dynamic extraction time) to achieve 0.447 as the EGCG extraction recovery.
Potential protection of green tea polyphenols against intracellular amyloid beta-induced toxicity on primary cultured prefrontal cortical neurons of rats
Author: Xiao-Yan Qin and Yong Cheng and Long-Chuan Yu
The present study was performed to explore the effect of green tea polyphenols on the intracellular Aβ (iAβ)-induced toxicity to cultured rat primary prefrontal cortical neurons. Administration of 100 nM, 1 μM or 10 μM of green tea polyphenols significantly inhibited the iAβ-induced toxicity to cultured rat primary prefrontal cortical neurons tested by MTT and LDH release assays. We further studied the involvement of neuroprotective pathway protein AKT in green tea polyphenols protection against iAβ-induced cytotoxicity on cultured rat primary prefrontal cortical neurons. The results demonstrated that the content of p-AKT decreased significantly after iAβ treatment, while administration of green tea polyphenols significantly inhibited the iAβ-induced decrease in the content of p-AKT. Moreover, blockade of AKT signalling inhibited the protective effects of green tea polyphenols against iAβ-induced neurotoxicity. The results suggest that green tea polyphenols may play a protective effect on cultured rat primary prefrontal cortical neurons against iAβ-induced cytotoxicity and AKT is involved in the green tea polyphenols-induced protective effects.
Green tea: An effective synergist with anticancer drugs for tertiary cancer prevention
Author: Hirota Fujiki and Masami Suganuma
Green tea is now an acknowledged cancer preventive in Japan. Based on evidence that colorectal adenomas and prostate cancer in humans have been prevented, we review here the concept that the combination of anticancer drugs with green tea catechin synergistically induces apoptosis of human cancer cells, inhibits tumor formation in mice, and enhances inhibition of tumor growth in xenograft mouse models. As a molecular mechanism by the combination, the induction of growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible 153 (GADD153, CHOP) gene expression is discussed in relation to death receptor 5 and TRAIL-apoptotic pathway. The combination of anticancer drugs with green tea could be a new cancer therapeutic strategy in humans.
Effect of superfine green tea powder on the thermodynamic, rheological and fresh noodle making properties of wheat flour
Author: Man Li and Jia-Hui Zhang and Ke-Xue Zhu and Wei Peng and Shi-Kang Zhang and Bin Wang and Yue-Jin Zhu and Hui-Ming Zhou
Superfine green tea powder (SGTP) was used to substitute 0 g, 1 g, 2 g, and 3 g of 100 g wheat flour (defined as 0SGTP, 1SGTP, 2SGTP and 3SGTP respectively) to make fresh noodles. The effects of SGTP on the viscosity, thermodynamic and rheological properties of wheat flour were evaluated, as well as the sheet colour, cooking quality, texture properties and sensory characteristics of green tea noodles. The results revealed that the stability, elastic modulus (G′) and viscous modulus (G″) of wheat dough all increased with the increase of green tea powder proportion. No significant differences were found in gelatinisation properties of the green tea-flour systems. Furthermore, adding SGTP could significantly (P < 0.05) retard the retrogradation of the gelatinised wheat flour gel. L∗ value of fresh noodles decreased as SGTP content increased while |a∗| value firstly increased and then decreased at 3 g/100 g. The 2SGTP noodle samples showed the least cooking loss. Sensory evaluation indicated that the control and the 2SGTP fresh noodles scored significantly (P < 0.05) higher in terms of colour. No significant difference was detected for the mouthfeel and overall acceptability among all samples.
Extraction behaviors of caffeine and chlorophylls in supercritical decaffeination of green tea leaves
Author: Hyong Seok Park and Nam Gyu Im and Kyoung Heon Kim
The decaffeination of green tea using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM) for the maximal removal of caffeine, and the coextration of chlorophylls was also monitored during decaffeination. The experimental conditions for the SC-CO2 extraction of caffeine were set up according to the Box-Behnken design of RSM. The relationships between the extraction yield of caffeine and various parameters used for the SC-CO2 extraction such as pressure, temperature and concentration of ethanol were studied at a fixed CO2 flow rate. The extraction yields of caffeine and total chlorophyll were significantly influenced by extraction pressure, temperature and concentration of cosolvent, and their extraction yields behaved almost in parallel at different extraction conditions that were obtained by varying pressure, temperature and ethanol cosolvent concentration. At the optimal decaffeination conditions such as 3.0 g of 95% (v/v) ethanol cosolvent per 100 g of CO2, 23 MPa, 63 °C and an extraction duration of 120 min for 10 g of green tea leaves, the extraction yields for caffeine and catechins were 96.60% (w/w) and 40.61% (w/w), respectively, and the substantial coextraction of total chlorophyll (43.09% of the total amount) was also observed during the decaffeination process.
Green tea drinking and risk of pancreatic cancer: A large-scale, population-based case–control study in urban Shanghai
Author: Jing Wang and Wei Zhang and Lu Sun and Herbert Yu and Quan-Xing Ni and Harvey A. Risch and Yu-Tang Gao
Background: Little is known about the etiology of pancreatic cancer. Epidemiological studies on tea consumption and pancreatic cancer risk have been inconclusive. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between green tea drinking and the risk of pancreatic cancer in urban Shanghai, China. Methods: In this population-based case–control study conducted in urban Shanghai, 908 cases of pancreatic cancer and 1067 healthy controls were recruited. Information on tea drinking, including type of tea, amount of tea consumption, temperature of tea, and the duration of regular tea drinking, were collected via interview questionnaire. Results: We examined the association of multiple tea drinking habits with the risk of pancreatic cancer. In women, regular green tea drinking was associated with 32% reduction of pancreatic cancer risk (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.48–0.96), compared to those who did not drink tea regularly. Increased consumption and longer duration of tea drinking were both associated with reduced pancreatic cancer risk in women. Among regular tea drinkers, lower temperature of tea was associated with reduced risk of pancreatic cancer in both men and women, independent of amount or duration of tea drinking. Conclusions: Habits of green tea drinking, including regular drinking, amount of consumption, persistence of the habit, and tea temperature, may lower pancreatic cancer risk.
Column-chromatographic extraction and separation of polyphenols, caffeine and theanine from green tea
Author: Li Wang and Li-Hong Gong and Chang-Jian Chen and Han-Bing Han and Hai-Hang Li
A highly efficient column-chromatographic extraction (CCE) followed by sequential adsorption to extract and separate bioactive compounds from green tea was developed. Tea powder was loaded into columns with 4-fold solvents and eluted through a cyclic CCE. High-quality tea extracts with greater than 90% extraction efficiencies of polyphenols, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, caffeine, theanine and polysaccharides were obtained with 4-fold water circulated five times among different columns at 70 °C. Similar results, except for low polysaccharide extraction (35.5%), were obtained with 4-fold 30% ethanol circulated three times at room temperature. The highly concentrated water extraction was directly passed through columns of polyamide, DM130 macroporous and 732 ion exchange resins, resulting in high-purity polyphenols (99%), caffeine (98%) and theanine (98%) after simple purification of the eluates from each column. This method uses simple equipment, minimum solvents and can be used for both quantitative analysis and continuous preparation of high-quality tea extracts and bioactive compounds.
Green tea extract as food antioxidant. Synergism and antagonism with α-tocopherol in vegetable oils and their colloidal systems
Author: Jie Yin and Eleonora Miquel Becker and Mogens L. Andersen and Leif H. Skibsted
The antioxidant effects of α-tocopherol (TOH) in combination with green tea extract (GTE), the green tea polyphenol (−)-epicatechin (EC) or the isomeric (+)-catechin (C), were investigated using different lipid systems based on high linoleic sunflower oil: bulk oil, o/w-emulsion and a phosphatidylcholine-based liposome system. Both polyphenols as well as TOH were efficient antioxidants in all systems when used alone, as detected by the formation of free radicals and conjugated dienes and by oxygen consumption. Strong synergistic effect was found for the combination of TOH and GTE in a methyl linoleate o/w-emulsion and in the pure bulk oil, while only an additive effect was observed in a liposome system. The synergism was already evident for the tendency for radical formation in the bulk oil as detected by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. On the contrary, combinations of TOH with either EC or C showed clear synergistic effects in both heterogeneous systems, but antagonistic or additive effects in bulk oil. GTE may accordingly be used to protect both vegetable oils and their emulsions against oxidation through enhancement of the activity of their endogenous antioxidants, while GTE is less efficient in the protection of phospholipids as in liposomes.
Production of caffeinated and decaffeinated green tea catechin powders from underutilised old tea leaves
Author: Quan V. Vuong and John B. Golding and Minh H. Nguyen and Paul D. Roach
Only the apical bud and the top four leaves are normally used to make high quality green teas, while the older lower leaves are cut and used for mulch. The aim was to determine whether the old fifth to tenth leaves could be used to make caffeinated and decaffeinated green tea catechin powders. The leaves were decaffeinated by blanching in water at 100 °C for 10 min to remove 80% of the caffeine while retaining 85% of the catechins. The leaves were then extracted in water at 80 °C and freeze drying gave 100% yields of extractable powder and catechins while spray drying gave 20–25% lower yields. Decaffeination and spray drying also increased the conversion of epistructured to non-epistructured catechins. Therefore, this study has shown that old green tea leaves, which are usually discarded, could be used as an underutilised source to make caffeinated and decaffeinated green tea catechin powders.