Catechins and Theanine: About the Major Components of Green Tea and Their Health Benefits

Epicate Cateking

Catechin

・Antioxidant effects

・Anti-inflammatory effects

・Antibacterial effects

・Reduction of heart disease risk

・Promotion of fat burning

・Blood sugar control

・Cancer prevention

・Dental health

・Maintenance of bone density

Yururin Theanine

Theanine

・Mental relaxation

・Anxiety relief

・Improvement of sleep quality

・Enhancement of focus

・Antioxidant effects

・Strengthening of immune function

・Lowering of blood pressure

・Protection of brain function

"About the Effects of Catechins"

Catechins are a type of polyphenolic compound found in green tea, with health benefits such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects.

Here’s an overview of the main effects of catechins:

1. Antioxidant effects: Catechins are powerful antioxidants that protect cells from oxidative stress, which can reduce the risk of aging and disease.

2. Anti-inflammatory effects: Catechins can inhibit the production of substances that cause inflammation. This can alleviate chronic inflammation and reduce the risk of associated diseases.

3. Antibacterial effects: Catechins can inhibit the growth of bacteria, which can help prevent and treat infections.

4. Reduction of heart disease risk: Catechins have been suggested to slow down the progression of atherosclerosis, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease.

5. Promotion of fat burning: Research has shown that catechins can promote the breakdown of fat and increase energy expenditure, which can aid in weight management.

6. Blood sugar control: Catechins may improve insulin sensitivity and help stabilize blood sugar levels.

7. Cancer prevention: Catechins have been reported to inhibit the growth of cancer cells, which is considered helpful in cancer prevention.

8. Dental health: Catechins have the effect of inhibiting the growth of bacteria that cause tooth decay, improving the oral environment and maintaining dental health.

9. Maintenance of bone density: Catechins have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that are considered beneficial for bone health, and are believed to prevent a decrease in bone density.

"About the Effects of Theanine"

Theanine (L-Theanine) is an amino acid abundant in green tea, known for its relaxation and stress-relieving effects.

Here’s an overview of the main effects of theanine:

1. Mental relaxation: Theanine promotes the production of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain, which brings about a relaxation effect. This can help alleviate stress and tension.

2. Anxiety relief: Theanine regulates neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which has an effect on relieving anxiety and worry.

3. Improvement of sleep quality: Theanine aids the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep, thereby improving sleep quality. It’s also reported that its relaxation effect can improve sleep onset.

4. Enhancement of focus: Theanine is known to increase alpha waves, which are said to enhance focus while being relaxed. The combination of caffeine and theanine in green tea has an effect on enhancing focus and alertness.

5. Antioxidant effects: Theanine has antioxidant properties, which can prevent cell damage and contribute to anti-aging.

6. Strengthening of immune function: Some studies suggest that theanine may have an effect on enhancing immune function.

7. Lowering of blood pressure: Theanine has an effect on suppressing blood pressure elevation caused by stress. This is because it has a function to inhibit the secretion of adrenaline during stress.

8. Protection of brain function: Theanine has a function to prevent damage to nerve cells, and is said to have an effect on preventing memory loss and cognitive decline.

Loaded with Health Benefits!
The Dreaming Matcha Series

Dreaming Matcha(Green)

¥2,000

This ‘100% Yame Matcha’ is made using second flush tea.

The matcha is made from 100% rare ‘Yame Tea’.

It is unsweetened, so feel free to add sugar and use it for sweets, lattes, and more.

Dreaming Matcha(Purple)

¥2,500

This ‘100% Yame Matcha’ is made using first flush tea, and is characterized by its vibrant color, fragrant aroma, and refined taste.

The matcha is made from 100% rare ‘Yame Tea’.

It is unsweetened, so you can mix it with hot water or water to drink, add it to smoothies, use it in your cooking, or add sugar to use in sweets, lattes, and more.

Dreaming Matcha(Gold)

¥5,000

“This ‘100% Yame Matcha’ is the highest quality matcha, ground from first flush tea using a stone mill.

It is characterized by its vibrant color, fragrant aroma, and refined taste.

The matcha is made from 100% rare ‘Yame Tea’.

It is unsweetened, so you can mix it with hot water or water to drink, add it to smoothies, use it in your cooking, or add sugar to use in sweets, lattes, and more.”

Mukoh Matcha’s ‘Dreaming Matcha’ series features products made with high-quality matcha from the Yame.

The Yame region is one of Japan’s leading green tea producing areas with a history of over 600 years, characterized by its abundant water and fertile soil.

The ‘Dreaming Matcha’ series includes ceremonial grade ‘Dreaming Matcha (Gold)’, premium grade ‘Dreaming Matcha (Purple)’, and culinary grade ‘Dreaming Matcha (Green)’, each with different qualities and uses.

Matcha is rich in health-promoting components such as catechins and theanine, which help to enhance immunity and reduce stress.

Moreover, the ‘Dreaming Matcha’ series excels in taste. As it is made with high-quality tea leaves from the Yame region, you can enjoy its smooth and deep flavor.

Please give the ‘Dreaming Matcha’ series a try.

"References (Catechins)"

Antioxidant effects: “Green Tea Catechins: Their Use in Treating and Preventing Infectious Diseases” Biomed Res Int. 2018.
Anti-inflammatory effects: “Green tea polyphenols as an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory agent for cardiovascular protection” Cardiovasc Hematol Disord Drug Targets. 2007.
Antibacterial effects: “Antibacterial Effect of Tea-tree Oil on Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm Formation of the Tympanostomy Tube: An In Vitro Study.” Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2007.
Reduction of heart disease risk: “Green and black tea for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease.” Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013.
Promotion of fat burning: “Green tea catechin consumption enhances exercise-induced abdominal fat loss in overweight and obese adults.” J Nutr. 2009.
Blood sugar control: “Effects of green tea on insulin sensitivity, lipid profile and expression of PPARα and PPARγ and their target genes in obese dogs.” Br J Nutr. 2013.
Cancer prevention: “Green tea and cancer prevention.” Nutr Cancer. 2010.
Dental health: “Inhibitory effects of green tea catechins on the growth and cellular adherence of an oral bacterium, Porphyromonas gingivalis.” Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 1993.
Maintenance of bone density: “Green tea polyphenols improve bone quality in a rat model of senile osteoporosis” J Med Food. 2011.

"References (Theanine)"

Mental relaxation：”L-Theanine reduces psychological and physiological stress responses.” (Kimura K, et al., Biol Psychol. 2007)
Anxiety relief：”Effects of L-Theanine on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Induced Changes in Rat Brain Gene Expression.” (Ota M, et al., Sci Rep. 2014)
Enhancement of focus：”Effects of Theanine on the Release of Brain Alpha Wave in Adult Males.” (Kobayashi K, et al., Nihon Nogeikagaku Kaishi 1998)
– “The combination of L-theanine and caffeine improves cognitive performance and increases subjective alertness.” (Giesbrecht T, et al., Nutr Neurosci. 2010)
Antioxidant effects：”Antioxidative properties of black tea.” (Leung LK, et al., Prev Med. 2001)
Strengthening of immune function：”Immunomodulatory Activity of L-Theanine Is Mediated by the Induction of Nitric Oxide Production in Cultured Murine Macrophages.” (Takashi T, et al., Jpn J Pharmacol. 1999)
Lowering of blood pressure：”Anti-stress effect of green tea with lowered caffeine on humans: a pilot study.” (Unno K, et al., Biol Pharm Bull. 2017)
Protection of brain function：”L-Theanine protects the APP (Swedish mutation) transgenic SH-SY5Y cell against glutamate-induced excitotoxicity via inhibition of the NMDA receptor pathway.” (Li C, et al., Neuroscience. 2012)