Beneficial effects of green tea

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Green tea is an essential part of Japanese tea culture...Green tea catechins are a kind of polyphenol contained in green tea.

The catechins in green tea have long been said to be good for the body, but recently there has been a lot of talk about the different types of catechins and more detailed information about them.

In this article, we would like to introduce the types of catechins that can be expected to help prevent colds and maintain health, and the temperature of hot water (water) that can be brewed effectively and deliciously.

Try these recipes for a delicious draught green tea.


1 Types of catechins

"Green tea catechins are a generic term for the eight types of catechins found in green tea."

~Food and health Lab from Taiyo Kagaku Co., Ltd.~

From these, the ingredients I'll discuss below are

  • Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg)

  • Epigallocatechin (EGC)

They are substances with similar names, but with different optimal extraction temperatures.

The bioactivity of green tea catechins has been confirmed in various ways, but this time we will focus on the information related to the prevention of colds. For more information, please see the attached links.

2 The antioxidant power of 80°C green tea

"When we measured the antioxidant power of each component, including polyphenols, we found that tea catechins, a green tea polyphenol, had the best antioxidant power."

"The strongest antioxidant was found to be EGCg*, which has more than 10 times the antioxidant power of vitamin E."~Green tea science lab, Mitsui Nourin Co, Ltd.~

*EGCg/EGCG: epigallocatechin gallate

"Tea brewed in hot water has a crisp, bitter flavor and is high in a type of catechin (epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) and caffeine, which has a drowsing effect."

~Guidebook "Good health with green tea", MAFF~

It seems that drinking tea brewed with hot water can help you get epigallocatechin gallate which has antioxidant properties.


If you brew the tea with too much water, it will be too hot to make a good taste.


In order to enjoy tea and have antioxidants efficiently, it's better to brew water at a temperature between 80°C and 90°C.

By the way, you don't have to measure the temperature of hot water every time.

Use a temperature-setting pot, or pour hot water (not pour it directly into the teapot) into the cup once and then add it to the teapot.

if you want to brew it in a tea bag without using a teapot, prepare two cups of hot water and transfer the hot water before soaking the tea bag.

Appendix: What is antioxidant?


"It inhibits the production of reactive oxygen species and their actions, or removes the reactive oxygen species themselves."


"Reactive oxygen species can be useful to the human body in minute amounts, but when produced in large amounts, they produce lipid peroxide, which can cause atherosclerosis, cancer, aging, and impaired immune function."

~MHLW: e-healthnet "Antioxidant"~

3 Boost your immunity with "Cold brew green tea"

"ECGs, which are abundant in cold brew green tea, have the potential to improve the reduction in macrophage phagocytic activity and up-regulate biodefense capacity."

~NARO: Got it! Cold brew green tea~

The best way to extract more epigallocatechin (EGC) is cold brew green tea.

What I want to say is that it is "cold brew". Brewed in hot water, It's not the same as brewing in hot water and cooling. The point seems to be not "temperature when you drink", but "temperature when you brew".

"If you want to get the benefits of EGC and theanine, it's a good idea to brew with as cold water as possible."

~NARO: Got it! Cold brew green tea~


Now the word "theanine" comes up.

Theanine is a type of amino acid found in tea and is said to have a relaxing effect. It's a very stressful situation these days, so please refer to this.

"Theanine has a 'relaxing' and sleep-improving effect, including increasing alpha waves and reducing the response of autonomic nervous system to stress."

~Food and health lab/Taiyo Kagaku Co, Ltd./~

4 How to brew cold brew green tea

Ingredient:

  • Using pitcher or bottle

1 liter of cold water

10 g of tea leaves (or 3 tea bags)


  • Using your own bottle

300ml of cold water

4 g of tea leaves (or one tea bag)


Simply put the tea leaves in a tea bag (the tea bag is still intact) with cold water and brew overnight in the refrigerator.


Take out the tea bag (or tea bag) the next morning and drink it up later in the day.

It's also a good idea to carry a bottle and drink it frequently when you have no choice but to go out.


If you steep additive-free dried fruit or other fruit with the tea leaves, it's fruity and delicious, and it's a great way to get the nutrients from the fruit.

Green tea is available at tea shops and supermarkets near you.

In addition, we often see green tea in tea bags at convenience stores.

I hope you have a chance to try them!

CONTRIBUTEREditor : Conomi SuzukiIllustration : NameDesign : Name