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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
Camellia sinensis fruit peel extract inhibits angiogenesis and ameliorates obesity induced by high-fat diet in rats
Author: Narendra Chaudhary and Jyoti Bhardwaj and Hyo Jin Seo and Min Yong Kim and Tai Sun Shin and Jong Deog Kim
Tea fruit peel is an agricultural waste of tea manufacturing industry that contains phenols with high antioxidant activities. This study examined the effect of green tea fruit peel extract (PE) against angiogenesis and obesity. We found that PE significantly inhibited the tubular formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC) and saponin were the functional components present in PE that contributed to significant anti-angiogenesis effect. Administration of PE (100 mg/kg/d) significantly decreased the body weight in rats fed high-fat diet (HFD) whereas the food intakes between HFD and PE treatment groups were not significantly different. White adipose tissue fat-pad weights were markedly reduced in rats fed HFD plus PE compared to those in HFD group. These results showed the potential of green tea fruit peel extract in preventing angiogenesis and obesity.
Retarding effects of organic acids, hydrocolloids and microwave treatment on the discoloration of green tea fresh noodles
Author: Ke-Xue Zhu and Xin Dai and Xiaona Guo and Wei Peng and Hui-Ming Zhou
Superfine green tea powder (SGTP) was premixed with organic acids (ascorbic acid, citric acid) and hydrocolloids (sodium alginate, curdlan), and then mixed with microwave-treated wheat flour to produce green tea fresh noodles (GTFN). Darken-retardant effects of organic acids, hydrocolloids and microwave treatments on GTFN were evaluated, as well as pH, polyphenol oxidase activity, sensory and microstructure characteristics. The results revealed that organic acids exhibited a suppressive effect on discoloration, among which citric acid (CA) displayed more efficient influence with lower pH. After adding hydrocolloids and microwave treatments, retardant effects exhibited more significant (P < 0.05). Specifically, employing citric acid 0.6 g/100 g, sodium alginate 0.2 g/100 g, and 800 W microwave (MW) 50 s would contribute to lower darkening index ΔE* (24 h, 25 °C) at 3.88 ± 0.314, 4.94 ± 0.297, 2.78 ± 0.212, respectively. Furthermore, the combined effect of the above process restrained discoloring rate considerably (ΔE* = 1.92 ± 0.101), also provided pleasant sensory characteristics. The confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) images demonstrated the microstructure of the noodle was strengthened compared with blank GTFN, and sodium alginate could serve as a binding agent to parcel SGTP and starch granules.
Coffee and green tea consumption is associated with insulin resistance in Japanese adults
Author: Ngoc Minh Pham and Akiko Nanri and Takeshi Kochi and Keisuke Kuwahara and Hiroko Tsuruoka and Kayo Kurotani and Shamima Akter and Isamu Kabe and Masao Sato and Hitomi Hayabuchi and Tetsuya Mizoue
Objective Higher coffee and green tea consumption has been suggested to decrease risk of type 2 diabetes, but their roles in insulin resistance (IR) and insulin secretion remain unclear. This study examined the association between habitual consumption of these beverages and markers of glucose metabolism in a Japanese working population. Materials/Methods Participants were 1440 Japanese employees (1151 men and 289 women) aged 18–69 years. Consumption of coffee and green tea was ascertained via a validated brief diet history questionnaire. Multilevel linear regression was used to estimate means (95% confidence intervals) of fasting insulin, fasting plasma glucose, homeostatic model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR), homeostatic model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) with adjustment for potential confounding variables. Results Coffee consumption was significantly, inversely associated with HOMA-IR (P for trend = 0.03), and the association appeared to be confined to overweight subjects (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) (P for trend = 0.01, P for interaction = 0.08). Unexpectedly, green tea consumption was positively associated with HOMA-IR (P for trend = 0.02), though there was no dose–response relationship among daily consumers of green tea. Neither coffee nor green tea consumption was associated with HOMA-β and HbA1c. Conclusions Our findings indicate that coffee consumption may be associated with decreased IR, but not with insulin secretion. The positive association between green tea consumption and IR warrants further investigation.
Value of off-season fresh Camellia sinensis leaves. Antiradical activity, total phenolics content and catechin profiles
Author: José Baptista and Elisabete Lima and Lisete Paiva and Ana R. Castro
“Normal-season” (bud plus first two leaves processed as commercial tea between Apr–Sep), “unused” (remaining leaves collected in Sep and Apr) and “off-season” (all leaves collected between Sep–Apr) green tea leaves samples from Camellia sinensis were extracted by water infusion followed by solvent–solvent partition to recover catechins, that were separated and quantified by HPLC methods. Total catechins content ranged between 23.72 and 73.61 mg/g of the dry weight (DW) leaves for the off-season samples and was 97.51, 115.12 and 184.62 mg/g DW for Apr, Sep and normal-season samples, respectively. The free radical scavenging activity of the off-season samples ranged between 45 and 80%, 79–90% and 90–92% for the 25, 50 and 100 ppm concentrations, respectively, after 20-min reaction time. The other samples presented values of 87%, 91% and 94% (Sep), 88%, 92% and 93% (Apr) and 89%, 93% and 95% (normal-season), using the same conditions. Total phenolics content ranged between 43.21 and 139.02 mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g DW for the off-season samples and was 182.23, 216.05 and 221.32 mg of GAE/g DW for Apr, Sep and normal-season samples, respectively. Results revealed that the unused and off-season Azorean green tea leaves (catechins-rich waste products) have potential antiradical activity that can be used for food and cosmetics preservation.
Effect of natural extracts on the formation of acrylamide in fried potatoes
Author: Gema Morales and Maribel Jimenez and Oscar Garcia and María Remedios Mendoza and Cesar Ignacio Beristain
The objective of the present work was to evaluate the effect of natural extracts on the formation of acrylamide in fried potatoes. The aqueous extracts used were obtained from wild oregano (Origanum vulgare), thyme (Thymus vulgaris), cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp) and green tea (Camellia sinensis), which presented a high percentage of free radical inhibition (DPPH) (48–99%) and content of total phenolic compounds (205–547 μg EAG/μg of d.w.). Potatoes were submerged in the antioxidant extracts at a concentration of 1 g/L for 1 min, before being fried and their acrylamide concentration quantified by GC–MS. The extracts from green tea, cinnamon and oregano reduced the acrylamide level by 62%, 39% and 17%, respectively. The potatoes submerged in cinnamon and bougainvillea extracts showed differences in the color parameters compared to the control potatoes (P < 0.05); however, no significant differences (P > 0.05) were found in the texture and the peroxide values. The sensorial evaluation showed that the acceptance of the potatoes was not affected by the treatment applied. Thus, we can conclude that pre-treating potatoes with antioxidants before frying produces beneficial effects such as a reduction in acrylamide content, without any significant changes in their physicochemical, sensorial and textural properties.
The effect of pectin and other constituents on the antioxidant activity of tea
Author: Georgia Soultani and Vasiliki Evageliou and Antonios E. Koutelidakis and Maria Kapsokefalou and Michael Komaitis
The effect of pectin on the antioxidant capacity and phenolic content of black, green, mountain tea and Pelargonium purpureum infusions was investigated. Antioxidant capacity was determined by the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay and total phenolics by the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Green tea was the richest in phenolics and had the highest antioxidant capacity, followed by black and the remaining two infusions. High methoxy pectin, added at various concentrations, did not affect the studied properties of all the infusions. As a further step, milk, lemon juice or sugars (sucrose, fructose) were added to black and green tea infusions, in the presence and absence of pectin. For green tea infusions, no significant differences were reported for the studied properties, for all the constituents, both in the presence and absence of pectin. For black tea infusions statistically different values were observed when pectin was combined with the constituents. These results suggest that pectin does not mask the antioxidant capacity of tea infusions and therefore, it may be added to tea infusions for stabilizing or thickening reasons and create new food formulations with improved health benefits.
The fortification of tea with sweeteners and milk and its effect on in vitro antioxidant potential of tea product and glutathione levels in an animal model
Author: M.W. Korir and F.N. Wachira and J.K. Wanyoko and R.M. Ngure and R. Khalid
Several studies have demonstrated that tea flavonoids protect cells and tissues against free radicals which have been implicated in the etiology of oxidative stress-related disease disorders. However, black tea is commonly consumed with additives that could otherwise affect the bioavailability of the active tea molecules. In this study, the biochemical parameters of Kenyan teas were determined and the effect of added milk and sweeteners on the antioxidant activity of Kenyan teas was investigated. The effect of tea antioxidants on glutathione (GSH) was also evaluated in vivo in a time series study using Swiss mice. Green teas had the highest levels of total polyphenols, total and individual catechins, while black teas had high levels of total thearubigins, total theaflavins and theaflavin fractions. The antioxidant activity was high in green teas though some of the black teas were as efficacious as the green teas. The addition of milk, sugar and honey significantly (p < 0.05) decreased the antioxidant activity of tea in a concentration-dependent manner. Addition of the sweetener, stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni), showed no significant (p > 0.05) influence on the antioxidant activity of tea and therefore can be recommended as a preferred sweetener for tea. Significantly (p < 0.001) higher levels of GSH were observed in plasma than in other tissues. GSH levels were generally highest 2 h after tea consumption, which indicates the need to repeatedly take tea every 2 h to maximise its potential health benefits.
Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of green tea extract loaded into nanostructured lipid carriers
Author: Ana-Maria Manea and Bogdan Stefan Vasile and Aurelia Meghea
In this paper, the preparation and characterization of some novel nanostructured lipid carriers for drug delivery are reported. They are obtained by mixing two solid lipids, cetyl palmitate and glyceryl stearate, with three types of vegetable oils: grape seed oil, St. John's wort oil (Hypericum perforatum oil) and sea buckthorn oil. In order to increase their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, they are co-loaded with green tea extract by using a modified high shear homogenization technique. Size distribution and polydispersity index of the developed nanostructured lipid carriers determined by the dynamic light scattering, and corroborated with the results obtained by the transmission electron microscopy analysis, confirmed that the structures obtained are at nanoscales. The crystallinity behavior of the prepared nanostructured lipid carriers has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry; zeta potential measurements show that all loaded nanostructures present excellent physical stability. Their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties evaluated by an appropriate in vitro analysis using the chemiluminescence method, and the diffusion disc method, respectively, show that green tea extract could be utilized as a valuable natural source of antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. These new nano-formulations proved to have significant potential for nutritional and pharmaceutical applications.
Green tea polyphenols-β-lactoglobulin nanocomplexes: Interfacial behavior, emulsification and oxidation stability of fish oil
Author: Mariana von Staszewski and Victor M. Pizones Ruiz-Henestrosa and Ana M.R. Pilosof
Green tea polyphenols have a good antioxidant capacity but poor interfacial activity. β-lactoglobulin (β-lg) was used as an emulsifier agent and also as a carrier molecule by spontaneous nanocomplexes formation with green tea polyphenols. Oil-in-water emulsions containing liver fish oil rich in ω-3 fatty acids were formulated using these nanocomplexes at pH 6. The interfacial behavior of these complexes showed that both surface pressure and dilatational properties decreased as compared with pure β-lg. However, the initial droplet size and stability of emulsions were improved in the presence of the nanocomplexes. Moreover, the oxidative stability of liver fish oil was improved by the presence of polyphenols.
Sediments in concentrated green tea during low-temperature storage
Author: Yong-Quan Xu and Gen-Sheng Chen and Qi-Zhen Du and Fei Que and Hai-Bo Yuan and Jun-Feng Yin
The formation and the main chemical components of sediments, including reversible tea sediments (RTS) and irreversible tea sediments (IRS), in concentrated green tea during low-temperature storage were studied. RTS was mainly formed in the first 10 days, and IRS was mainly formed between 20 and 40 days of storage. The RTS were the primary sediment, contributing more than 90% of the total sediment. The RTS comprised of polyphenols, total sugar, caffeine, flavones and proteins, while the IRS mainly comprised of oxalates of Ca, Mg, Ga and Mn. The total mineral content in the IRS (17.1%) was much higher than that in the RTS (2.6%) after 80 days of storage. The Ca, Mg, Mn and Ga contents in IRS were over 1.0% (w/w) each. About 75% of the IRS was soluble in 0.1 M aqueous HCl, with the oxalate accounting for 68%. Minerals and oxalic acid were the crucial factors in the IRS formation.