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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
Mast cell stabilizing and anti-anaphylactic activity of aqueous extract of green tea (Camellia sinensis)
Author: G. Balaji and M. Chalamaiah and P. Hanumanna and B. Vamsikrishna and D. Jagadeesh Kumar and V. Venu babu
Green tea (Camellia sinensis) is one of the most popular and widely consumed beverages in the world. In the current study, aqueous extract of green tea (C. sinensis) was evaluated for mast cell stabilizing and anti-anaphylactic activities. Green tea extract (11, 13, 15 mg/ml) significantly (P < 0.05) inhibited compound 48/80-induced rat mesentric mast cell degranulation in a dose dependent manner. Anti-anaphylactic activity of green tea extract was performed in female mice. At a dose of 400, 500, 600 mg/kg BW, green tea extract showed significant reduction in the mortality of mice subjected to anaphylactic shock by compound C48/80. Ketotifen was used for comparison. In addition, IR and UV–Visible spectroscopy analysis of green tea extract revealed the presence of functional groups of bioactive compounds. These results suggest that green tea could be useful in the treatment of asthma and allergic rhinitis.
Green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract inhibits both the metastasis and osteolytic components of mammary cancer 4T1 lesions in mice
Author: Ke-Wang Luo and Chun-Hay Ko and Grace Gar-Lee Yue and Julia Kin-Ming Lee and Kai-Kai Li and Michelle Lee and Gang Li and Kwok-Pui Fung and Ping-Chung Leung and Clara Bik-San Lau
Green tea (Camellia sinensis, CS), a kind of Chinese tea commonly consumed as a healthy beverage, has been demonstrated to have various biological activities, including antioxidation, antiobesity and anticancer. Our study aims to investigate the antitumor, antimetastasis and antiosteolytic effects of CS aqueous extract both in vitro and in vivo using metastasis-specific mouse mammary carcinoma 4T1 cells. Our results showed that treatment of 4T1 cells with CS aqueous extract resulted in significant inhibition of 4T1 cell proliferation. CS extract induced 4T1 apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner as assessed by annexin-V and propidium iodide staining and caspase-3 activity. Western blot analysis showed that CS increased the expression of Bax-to-Bcl-2 ratio and activated caspase-8 and caspase-3 to induce apoptosis. CS also inhibited 4T1 cell migration and invasion at 0.06–0.125 mg/ml. In addition, CS extract (0.6 g/kg, orally fed daily for 4 weeks) was effective in decreasing the tumor weight by 34.8% in female BALB/c mice against water treatment control (100%). Apart from the antitumor effect, CS extract significantly decreased lung and liver metastasis in BALB/c mice bearing 4T1 tumors by 54.5% and 72.6%, respectively. Furthermore, micro-computed tomography and in vitro osteoclast staining analysis suggested that CS extract was effective in bone protection against breast cancer-induced bone destruction. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that the CS aqueous extract, which closely mimics green tea beverage, has potent antitumor and antimetastasis effects in breast cancer and could protect the bone from breast cancer-induced bone destruction.
Resin selection for the separation of caffeine from green tea catechins
Author: David Méndez Sevillano and Luuk A.M. van der Wielen and Nasim Hooshyar and Marcel Ottens
This work focuses on the rapid selection of a resin from a defined set of macroporous polymeric resins for the decaffeination of catechins from green tea. High-throughput experimentation and design of experiments are used in order to retrieve as much information as possible from a small set of experiments on the interaction of components with the resins. A multicomponent Langmuir isotherm model is used to describe the adsorption and parameters are regressed with high accuracy. These parameters are subsequently used for the definition of criteria to calculate a weighted resin score. The optimal resin is Diaion 20HP with a score of 90.50%, mainly due to its good selectivity for caffeine over catechin (3).
Enhanced inhibition of prostate cancer xenograft tumor growth by combining quercetin and green tea
Author: Piwen Wang and Jaydutt V. Vadgama and Jonathan W. Said and Clara E. Magyar and Ngan Doan and David Heber and Susanne M. Henning
The chemopreventive activity of green tea (GT) is limited by the low bioavailability and extensive methylation of GT polyphenols (GTPs) in vivo. We determined whether a methylation inhibitor quercetin (Q) will enhance the chemoprevention of prostate cancer in vivo. Androgen-sensitive LAPC-4 prostate cancer cells were injected subcutaneously into severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice one week before the intervention. The concentration of GTPs in brewed tea administered as drinking water was 0.07% and Q was supplemented in diet at 0.2% or 0.4%. After 6-weeks of intervention tumor growth was inhibited by 3% (0.2% Q), 15% (0.4% Q), 21% (GT), 28% (GT+0.2% Q) and 45% (GT+0.4% Q) compared to control. The concentration of non-methylated GTPs was significantly increased in tumor tissue with GT+0.4% Q treatment compared to GT alone, and was associated with a decreased protein expression of catechol-O-methyltransferase and multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP)-1. The combination treatment was also associated with a significant increase in the inhibition of proliferation, androgen receptor and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling, and stimulation of apoptosis. The combined effect of GT+0.4% Q on tumor inhibition was further confirmed in another experiment where the intervention started prior to tumor inoculation. These results provide a novel regimen by combining GT and Q to improve chemoprevention in a non-toxic manner and warrant future studies in humans.
Memory deficits and oxidative stress in cerebral ischemia–reperfusion: Neuroprotective role of physical exercise and green tea supplementation
Author: Helen L. Schimidt and Aline Vieira and Caroline Altermann and Alexandre Martins and Priscila Sosa and Francielli W. Santos and Pâmela B. Mello-Carpes and Ivan Izquierdo and Felipe P. Carpes
Ischemic stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world. Among impairments observed in survivors there is a significant cognitive learning and memory deficit. Neuroprotective strategies are being investigated to minimize such deficits after an ischemia event. Here we investigated the neuroprotective potential of physical exercise and green tea in an animal model of ischemia–reperfusion. Eighty male rats were divided in 8 groups and submitted to either transient brain ischemia–reperfusion or a sham surgery after 8 weeks of physical exercise and/or green tea supplementation. Ischemia–reperfusion was performed by bilateral occlusion of the common carotid arteries during 30 min. Later, their memory was evaluated in an aversive and in a non-aversive task, and hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were removed for biochemical analyses of possible oxidative stress effects. Ischemia–reperfusion impaired learning and memory. Reactive oxygen species were increased in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Eight weeks of physical exercise and/or green tea supplementation before the ischemia–reperfusion event showed a neuroprotective effect; both treatments in separate or together reduced the cognitive deficits and were able to maintain the functional levels of antioxidant enzymes and glutathione.
Green tea and type 2 diabetes
Author: Jae-Hyung Park and Jae-Hoon Bae and Sung-Soon Im and Dae-Kyu Song
Green tea and coffee consumption have been widely popular worldwide. These beverages contain caffeine to activate the central nervous system by adenosine receptor blockade, and due to the caffeine, addiction or tolerance may occur. In addition to this caffeine effect, green tea and coffee consumption have always been at the center of discussions about human health, disease, and longevity. In particular, green tea catechins are involved in many biological activities such as antioxidation and modulation of various cellular lipid and proteins. Thus, they are beneficial against degenerative diseases, including obesity, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and various inflammatory diseases. Some reports also suggest that daily consumption of tea catechins may help in controlling type 2 diabetes. However, other studies have reported that chronic consumption of green tea may result in hepatic failure, neuronal damage, and exacerbation of diabetes, suggesting that interindividual variations in the green tea effect are large. This review will focus on the effect of green tea catechins extracted from the Camellia sinensis plant on type 2 diabetes and obesity, and the possible mechanistic explanation for the experimental results mainly from our laboratory. It is hoped that green tea can be consumed in a suitable manner as a supplement to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Development of liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method for analysis of polyphenolic compounds in liquid samples of grape juice, green tea and coffee
Author: Yelena Sapozhnikova
A simple and fast method for the analysis of a wide range of polyphenolic compounds in juice, tea, and coffee samples was developed using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The method was based on a simple sample preparation “dilute and shoot” approach, and LC–MS/MS quantification using genistein-d4 as an internal standard. The performance of six different syringeless filter devices was tested for sample preparation. The method was evaluated for recoveries of polyphenols at three spiking levels in juice, tea, and coffee samples. The recoveries of the majority of polyphenols were satisfactory (70–120%), but some varied significantly (20–138%) depending on the matrix. NIST Standard Reference Materials (SRM) 3257 Catechin Calibration Solutions and 3255 Camellia sinensis (Green Tea) Extract with certified concentrations of catechin and epicatechin were used for method validation. The measurement accuracy in two SRMs was 71–113%. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of liquid samples of grape juice, green tea, and coffee.
Selenium enriched green tea increase stability of Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum in chitosan coated alginate microcapsules during exposure to simulated gastrointestinal and refrigerated conditions
Author: Dan Cristian Vodnar and Carmen Socaciu
The effects of selenium enriched green tea (SGT; 85.8–96 mg/kg) in different concentrations of 1 g and 2 g/100 mL, on the in vitro exposure to simulated gastrointestinal juice and refrigerated storage of encapsulated Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum were investigated in chitosan coated alginate beads. The encapsulation yield of viable cells in chitosan coated alginate beads with and without SGT was not significantly different (P < 0.05). These results together with the study about the survival of probiotic bacteria in microspheres with SGT during storage at 4 °C, demonstrated significantly higher number (P < 0.05) of survival bacteria in microcapsules with SGT 2 g/100 mL. Microencapsulated L. casei and L. plantarum with SGT 1 g and 2 g/100 mL were resistant to simulated gastric conditions (pH 2.0, 2 h) and bile solution (3 g/100 mL, 2 h) resulting in significantly (P < 0.05) improved survival when compared with microencapsulation without SGT addition.
Orthogonal analytical methods for botanical standardization: Determination of green tea catechins by qNMR and LC–MS/MS
Author: José G. Napolitano and Tanja Gödecke and David C. Lankin and Birgit U. Jaki and James B. McAlpine and Shao-Nong Chen and Guido F. Pauli
The development of analytical methods for parallel characterization of multiple phytoconstituents is essential to advance the quality control of herbal products. While chemical standardization is commonly carried out by targeted analysis using gas or liquid chromatography-based methods, more universal approaches based on quantitative 1H NMR (qHNMR) measurements are being used increasingly in the multi-targeted assessment of these complex mixtures. The present study describes the development of a 1D qHNMR-based method for simultaneous identification and quantification of green tea constituents. This approach utilizes computer-assisted 1H iterative Full Spin Analysis (HiFSA) and enables rapid profiling of seven catechins in commercial green tea extracts. The qHNMR results were cross-validated against quantitative profiles obtained with an orthogonal LC–MS/MS method. The relative strengths and weaknesses of both approaches are discussed, with special emphasis on the role of identical reference standards in qualitative and quantitative analyses.
Survival and metabolic activity of probiotic bacteria in green tea
Author: A.M. López de Lacey and E. Pérez-Santín and M.E. López-Caballero and P. Montero
The aim of this study was to determine the enzymatic activity and survival of three probiotic strains (Lactobacillus paracasei LAFTI-L26, Lactobacillus acidophilus LAFTI-L10 and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis LAFTI-B94) during incubation in six different varieties of green tea extracts. The polyphenol content, antioxidant, antimicrobial and antihypertensive properties in green tea (variety Wu Lu Mountain) and in two standards (epigallocatechin-3-gallate and rutin) were also investigated before and after incubation with B. animalis B94. The green tea extracts permitted the survival of the selected probiotic strains better than the saline solution, with B. animalis B94 maintaining the highest levels of viable cells. These selected probiotic bacteria exhibited β-glucosidase, β-galactosidase and α-rhamnosidase activity. The antioxidant and antihypertensive properties of standard solutions of epigallocatechin-3-gallate and rutin increased after incubation with B. animalis B94, caused by polyphenol content reduction and the formation of other more highly biologically active metabolites. However, during the incubation of green tea with B. animalis B94, changes in the concentration of the most abundant green tea polyphenols did not enhance the biological activity.