Research Database
The only comprehensive database for clinical and medical research papers on the healthy benefits of matcha/green tea
Explore Research Topic
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.
Learn More
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.”
Learn More
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
Learn More
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.
Learn More
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: Yang Zhao and Pei Chen and Longze Lin and J.M. Harnly and Liangli (Lucy) Yu and Zhangwan Li
Tea (Camellia sinensis L.), an important drink and a natural medicine for thousands of years, contains many health beneficial compounds. Growing season, geographical region, and fermentation methods create many variations in tea compositions, which contribute to each tea’s uniqueness. In this study, a simple, rapid, and efficient ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) method combined with diode array detector (DAD) and mass spectroscopic (MS) detection and chemometrics analysis was used to analyse three different types of teas (green pu-erh, green tea, white tea). Using the developed method, 68 compounds were identified and 54 were quantified based on retention times, UV spectra, and MS spectra by referencing to available standards and data in the literatures. The results showed the chemical differences between the tested teas. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to classify and distinguish between tea samples.
Author: H.-H. Sherry Chow and Iman A. Hakim
Green tea and its major polyphenols constituents, tea catechins, have been shown to have many health benefits including cancer prevention. Tea catechins and tea catechin metabolites/catabolites are bioavailable in the systemic circulation after oral intake of green tea or green tea catechins. The metabolites/catabolites identified in humans include glucuronide/sulfate conjugates, methylated tea catechin conjugates, and microflora-mediated ring fission products and phenolic acid catabolites. Plasma levels of unchanged tea catechins in humans are mostly in the sub-μM or nM concentration range, which is much lower than the effective concentrations determined in most in vitro studies. However, some of the catechin metabolites/catabolites are present in the systemic circulation at levels much higher than those of the parent catechins. The contribution of catechin derived metabolites/catabolites to the biological effects associated with green tea is yet to be defined. A limited number of chemoprevention trials of green tea or green tea catechins have been conducted to date and have observed potential preventive activity for oral, prostate, and colorectal cancer. Emerging data from multiple ongoing intervention trials will further contribute to defining the cancer preventive activity of green tea or green tea catechins.
Author: Yukihiko Hara
Green tea polyphenols have been reported to have many beneficial health effects. This review describes the development of Polyphenon® E as a standardized green tea polyphenol preparation for many clinical trials and as an FDA-approved medication to treat genital warts. The procedures involving this process and the subsequent development of a similar product Theaphenon® E are discussed.
Author: Ling Rao and Khizar Hayat and Yi Lv and Eric Karangwa and Shuqin Xia and Chengsheng Jia and Fang Zhong and Xiaoming Zhang
Ultrafiltration, silica gel and chitosan treatment methods were investigated to study the clarification effect on the green tea infusion. The results showed that ultrafiltration reduced the protein and polyphenol content, as well as color of the tea infusion. The silica gel and chitosan treatment were effective methods to clarify green tea infusion; they decreased the haze-active protein significantly, without much effect on the polyphenol. The silica gel and chitosan treatment also reduced the proline content by 18.65% and 23.79%, and histidine amino acid by 90.97%, and 90.31%, respectively. After the silica and chitosan treatment, the protein did not decrease significantly compared to the raw (untreated) infusion, while ultrafiltration treatment reduced the protein content significantly from 11.36 to 5.85 mg/100 mL with the 10 kDa membrane. Transmittance of silica gel and chitosan treated infusion was above 95.0% and 99.0%, respectively; and decreased slowly under prolonged storage time. The chitosan and silica treatment decreased the greenness and yellowness of the green tea infusion.
Author: Kouass Sahbani Saloua and Kouass Salah and Benbettaieb Nasreddine and Ayari Samia and Saidi Mouldi and Landoulsi Ahmed
Sterilization of milk protein without heating is of great interest. Gamma irradiation is a very powerful method to decontaminated casein. Gamma-irradiation of proteins in aqueous media at doses higher than 5 kGy is known to induce their aggregation (without oxygen) or degradation (in presence of oxygen). Camellia sinensis green tea extract addition before irradiation of caseins cow milk proteins was examined. It was found that the presence of C. sinensis green tea extract during irradiation in the presence of oxygen conditions prevented the protein aggregation even at doses higher than 10 kGy, probably by scavenging oxygen radicals produced by irradiation. The protective role of C. sinensis green tea extract allowing the gamma-irradiation treatment of caseins cow milk proteins in solution, was asserted by sodium dodecyl-sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and by high performance liquid chromatography inverse phase (RP-HPLC). The total viable microorganisms content evaluated by Plate Count Agar (PCA) incubation for 12 h at 37 °C, showed that caseins protein preparations gamma-irradiated remained sterile at a dose 2 kGy in absence of C. sinensis green tea extract and at a dose lower than 2 kGy in the presence of C. sinensis green tea extract.
Author: Li Guo and Qin Liang and Xianfeng Du
Tea polysaccharide (TPS) is attracting more attention gradually in many fields due to its particular biological properties. To further elucidate the functions of TPS to starch-based foods, experiments were carried out using mixed amylose/amylopectin/TPS system as a model. The effects of TPS in green tea on the glass transition temperatures (Tgs) of the mixtures with different amylose/amylopectin ratios at low water contents were investigated using high-speed differential scanning calorimetry (Hyper-DSC). The results showed that the Tgs of amylose, amylopectin and their mixtures decrease with increasing concentration of TPS. It is suggested that the addition of TPS has plasticizing effects on the structures of amylose and amylopectin on the molecular level. Based on the molecular characteristics of TPS, the results in this study indicated that TPS is a homogeneous and spherical polymer with branch in solution, which can increase free volume and molecular movement of amylose and amylopectin chains. TPS can also produce greater electrostatic repulsion and decrease association among macromolecules, thereby resulting in the decrease of the Tgs of amylose, amylopectin and their mixtures.
Author: S.M. Abdeen and T.C. Mathew and H.M. Dashti and S. Asfar
Objective The intestinal mucosa is known to be adversely affected by ischemia–reperfusion (I/R). Previously we showed that green tea protects the intestinal mucosa from fasting-induced damage. The aim of this study is to determine whether green tea has any protective role in I/R of the intestine. Methods Three groups of male rats were used in this study. Group I (I/R) underwent I/R of the intestine (30 min of ischemia followed by 1 h of reperfusion). Group II (green tea + I/R) was given green tea for 2 wk before inducing I/R. Group III (control) had sham I/R. After the experiments, the jejunum was removed and the tissues were processed for histopathologic examination and immunohistochemical analysis for cell proliferation markers and antioxidant enzymes. Results The intestinal mucosa in group II was preserved compared with that in group I. The expressions of cellular proliferation markers (proliferating cell nuclear antigen and Ki-67) and cellular antioxidants (superoxide dismutase and catalase) in group II were similar to those in group III and much less than in group I, reflecting the protective effects of green tea in group II animals. Conclusion In this animal model, administration of green tea before inducing I/R protects the intestinal mucosa from injury.
Author: Mark E. Corey and William L. Kerr and Jake H. Mulligan and Vera Lavelli
In this study, apple products made with and without added green tea extract were freeze-dried and stored for up to 45 days at 30 °C in low and intermediate moisture environments (water activity, aw, 0.11, 0.22, 0.32, 0.57, and 0.75). Kinetic models were developed for the changes in color and decreases in contents of selected green tea and apple monomeric and polymeric flavanols and ascorbic acid. Moisture isotherms were developed for each product. At various moisture levels, the glass transition temperature (Tg) was measured by \{DSC\} and water mobility by 1H NMR. Chemical changes were related to Tg, aw, and water mobility in the products. Phytochemical degradation occurred more rapidly at higher moisture contents, except for caffeine which was stable. In the product containing apple with green tea, the content of monomeric flavan-3-ols decreased by 34% and 39% after 45 days of storage at aw of 0.56 and 0.75, respectively. Phytochemical degradation correlated with increasing aw, Tg, and water mobility. This study showed that, in general, storage at aw 0.75 most affected phytochemical stability and color.
Author: Ramasamy Harikrishnan and Chellam Balasundaram and Moon-Soo Heo
Effect of diet enriched with green tea at 0, 0.01, 0.1 or 1.0% levels on immune responses such as non-specific humoral (lysozyme, antiprotease and complement) and cellular (myeloperoxidase content, production of reactive oxygen, and nitrogen species) and disease resistance on week 1, 2 or 4 in kelp grouper Epinephelus bruneus challenged with Vibrio carchariae(2.47 × 108 CFU ml−1) was quantified. At all doses green tea supplementation significantly enhanced the serum lysozyme activity from weeks 1 to 4. On the other hand, after week 2 the serum hemolytic complement activity, leucocyte myeloperoxidase content and reactive nitrogen species protection significantly increased in groups fed with 0.01 and 0.1% green tea supplementation diets. The serum antiprotease activity significantly increased in group fed with at 1.0% green tea from week 1 to 4. However, all diets except at 0.01% level resulted in a significant decrease in reactive oxygen species protection during the experimental period. Challenged groups fed with green tea enriched diet at 0.01 and 0.1% level had a higher relative percent survival than with 1.0% diet on week 1, 2 or 4. The results suggest that dietary administration of green tea supplementation at a concentration of 0.01 and 0.1% level positively enhances the non-specific humoral and cellular immune responses and disease resistance of kelp grouper E. bruneus to V. carchariae.
Author: David Banji and Otilia J.F. Banji and Saidulu Abbagoni and Md. Sikinder Hayath and Srilatha Kambam and Vijaya Lakshmi Chiluka
Exposure to toxicants prenatally and postnatally could have deleterious consequences on the offspring. Postnatal exposure to valproate in mice pups is capable of inducing experimental autism resulting in neurobehavioral aberrations. Consumption of green tea has been associated with neuronal protection against the impact of toxicants. We investigated the role of green tea extract in reversing cardinal behavioral changes and aberrations in oxidative stress induced by valproate exposure. Young mice of both genders received a single dose of valproate (400 mg/kg subcutaneously) on postnatal day 14 followed by a daily dose of green tea extract (75 and 300 mg/kg) orally up to postnatal day 40. Mice pups were subjected to behavioral testing to assess motor co-ordination, nociceptive response, locomotion, anxiety, exploratory activity and cognition on various postnatal days up to postnatal day 40. At the end of behavioral testing, blood was withdrawn from the retro orbital plexus for the estimation of lipid peroxides. Animals were sacrificed on postnatal day 41 and whole brain was subjected to histopathological examination. Our studies revealed a significant improvement in behavioral assessments particularly with 300 mg/kg of green tea extract. Formation of markers of oxidative stress was reduced at both dose levels. Histological findings confirm the neuroprotective effect of green tea at a dose of 300 mg/kg. In conclusion it can be stated that green tea exerts neuronal cytoprotective action possibly due to anti-oxidant action and could be efficacious in the management of autism.