If there is a lot of bad cholesterol in the body, it may cause cerebral infarction and arteriosclerosis.

Green tea is a beverage with the effect of lowering bad cholesterol.

In this article, I’m going to introduce some of the ingredients you can use to lower your cholesterol levels and how to take them effectively.

The risk of high cholesterol levels

Cholesterol is divided into so-called “good (HDL cholesterol)” and “bad (LDL cholesterol)”.

High levels of bad cholesterol increase the risk of serious diseases such as cerebral infarction and atherosclerosis.

This is because bad cholesterol has tendency to stick to the inside of blood vessels, making them more prone to clogging.

In other words, reducing bad cholesterol is one of the most important issues in maintaining good health.

The cause of high cholesterol

Some of the causes of high cholesterol include the following; heredity, a western-style fatty diet and lack of exercise.

In addition, men tend to have particularly high levels of bad cholesterol around age 40 to 50, and women around the time of menopause.

Green tea lowers cholesterol levels

Cholesterol causes a lot of harm to your body, but you can lower your cholesterol level by drinking green tea.

This is because green tea is rich in “epigallocatechin gallate” that lowers cholesterol levels.

Epigallocatechin gallate is a type of catechins that helps inhibit the oxidation of bad cholesterol.

As a result, blood vessels are less likely to be clogged and the risk of cerebral infarction and arteriosclerosis is reduced.

How to drink green tea to lower cholesterol levels

As mentioned above, a type of catechins plays a role in lowering cholesterol levels.

Therefore, I will introduce some ways to drink green tea that are rich in catechins.

Use hot water

Catechin is an ingredient that is easy to dissolve in hot water.

Therefore, if you drink green tea as part of your cholesterol control measures, it is a good idea to brew tea with hot water.

On the other hand, if you brew green tea with cold water, catechin won't dissolve easily, so please be careful when brewing it.

Choose Nibancha or Sanbancha.

Green tea leaves are classified as Ichibancha (first picked tea), Nibancha (second picked tea) and Sanbancha (third picked tea) depending upon the harvest time.

While Ichibancha is generally said to have good quality and aroma, it is the Nibancha and Sanbancha that provide a good dose of catechins.

This is because catechins, which are produced by the action of light, are abundant in Nibancha and Sanbancha that grows during long hours of sunlight.

So, if you want to lower your cholesterol level, I recommend you to choose Nibancha or Sanbancha, not Ichibancha.

Dementia is a one of the major social problems.

Once you get it, it will cause symptoms such as memory disorder and poor judgment.

Green tea is one of the beverages that has ingredients to prevent such dementia.

In this article, I’m going to introduce the ingredients of green tea to prevent dementia and how to drink it effectively.

The risk and causes of dementia

According to a survey by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the incidence of dementia among people aged 65 and over in Japan is about 15%.

The number is increasing every year and about 6 million people are expected to be affected dementia by 2020.

I will explain the risks and causes of dementia.

The risk of dementia

People with dementia may have the following problems;

• Memory impairment,
• Impaired understanding and judgment
• Unable to plan and act
• Lose touch with time, place, or people.

They may also become violent or depressed because they are frustrated at not being able to convey their feelings to others.

The causes of dementia

There are different types of dementia, such as “Alzheimer type dementia” and “cerebrovascular dementia” and their causes include the following.

• Accumulation of abnormal proteins in the brain (Alzheimer type dementia),
• Lifestyle-related diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes (cerebrovascular dementia),
• Loss of nerve cells (anterior temporal lobe type dementia), and
• Destruction of nerve cells in the brain by Lewy bodies (Lewy body dementia).

In particular, “Alzheimer type” is the most common dementia in Japan, accounting for slightly less than 70% of the total.

Green tea prevents dementia

Green tea is an effective beverage to prevent dementia.

Specifically, the following studies have demonstrated its effectiveness.

• People who drink more than two cups of green tea a day are less than half the rate of cognitive impairment compared to those who drink less than three cups a week.
• In experiments with mice, the ingredients in green tea suppressed atrophy of brain tissue and memory loss.

In other words, drinking green tea regularly prevents memory and cognitive impairment.

Green tea ingredients to prevent dementia

The ingredient of green tea that prevent dementia is “catechins”.

According to one American study, catechins are particularly effective in Alzheimer's dementia.

As mentioned above, the most common type of dementia in Japan is Alzheimer's, so green tea has a very high possibility of preventing dementia.

How to drink green tea to prevent dementia

As mentioned above, the ingredient of tea that prevents dementia is catechins.

Therefore, I will introduce some ways to drink green tea that are rich in catechins.

Use hot water

Catechin is an ingredient that is easy to dissolve in hot water.

Therefore, it is possible to take in more catechins by brewing tea with hot water.

Choose Nibancha or Sanbancha

Green tea leaves are classified as Ichibancha (first picked tea), Nibancha (second picked tea) and Sanbancha (third picked tea) depending upon the harvest time.

While Ichibancha is generally said to have good quality and aroma, it is the Nibancha and Sanbancha that provide a good dose of catechins.

This is because catechins, which are produced by the action of light, are abundant in Nibancha and Sanbancha that grows during long hours of sunlight.

So, if you drink green tea to prevent dementia, I recommend you to choose Nibancha or Sanbancha.

Have green tea to prevent dementia

In this article, I have explained the ingredients of green tea to prevent dementia and how to drink it effectively.

Since it is important to take action at an early stage, why don't you take this opportunity to try a healthy method against dementia making use of green tea?

Obesity increases the risk of diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

For this reason, it is very important to prevent obesity in advance in order to have a healthy body.

In fact, drinking green tea is an effective way to prevent obesity.

In this article, I’m going to introduce the ingredients and how to drink green tea to prevent obesity.

The risk of obesity

Obesity increases the risk of the following diseases: high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, gout, and cholelithiasis.

They are all horrible diseases, but the causes of obesity are hereditary constitution, overeating and lack of exercise.

Although it is true that the “obesity gene” does exist, the ratio between environment and heredity is said to be “7: 3”.

In other words, there is a lot of potential to improve obesity through diet.

Green tea ingredients to prevent obesity

The catechins contained in green tea have the effect of suppressing obesity.

This is because catechins have a function to inhibit the production of “glucose” which is the cause of obesity.

For example, when obese men with a high BMI were asked to drink multiple green teas with different amounts of catechins, studies have shown that those who continued to drink the higher catechin green tea lost fat faster.

This means drinking green tea that is high in catechins can effectively prevent obesity.

It’s not just the catechins!

Catechins are effective in preventing obesity, but they do not have such a great effect on their own, and it is thought that the synergistic effect with caffeine improves the preventive effect.

Therefore, if you drink green tea to prevent obesity, be sure to choose a green tea that has caffeine in it.

How to drink green tea to prevent obesity

Here are three ways to drink green tea that can help prevent obesity.

Use hot water

The obesity-inhibiting catechins and caffeine are easily soluble in hot water.

Therefore, when drinking green tea to prevent obesity, it is a good idea to brew tea with hot water.

Choose Nibancha or Sanbancha.

Green tea leaves are classified as Ichibancha (first picked tea), Nibancha (second picked tea) and Sanbancha (third picked tea) depending upon the harvest time.

While Ichibancha is generally said to have good quality and aroma, it is the Nibancha and Sanbancha that provide a good dose of catechins.

This is because catechins, which are produced by the action of light, are abundant in Nibancha and Sanbancha that grows during long hours of sunlight.

Their astringency is stronger than that of Ichibancha, but it is recommended that you choose Nibancha or Sanbancha when drinking tea to prevent obesity.

Make use of FOSHU tea

Some teas that are designated as Food for Specified Health Uses (FOSHU) by the Secretary General of the Consumer Affairs Agency also have an effect on obesity.

Since FOSHU teas are only approved if they are scientifically recognized as having health benefits, they are only commercialized if they have already been proven to be effective.

When drinking FOSHU tea to combat obesity, it's a good idea to choose a product such as Lemon Tokucha (Suntory), which is described as “helping to reduce fat”.

Have green tea to prevent obesity

In this article, I have explained the ingredients of green tea to prevent obesity and how to drink it effectively.

If you are suffering from obesity, how about trying these healthy preventative measures.

High blood pressure is a problem that one in two Japanese people over the age of 20 has.

However, you can prevent your high blood pressure by drinking green tea.

In this article, I’m going to introduce the basic knowledge of high blood pressure and how to prevent it by drinking green tea.

The risk of high blood pressure

High blood pressure can cause diseases such as thyroid and adrenal glands, and is at risk of death in the worst case.

The causes of such high blood pressure are drinking, excessive salt intake and stress. Some people are also more prone to high blood pressure due to heredity.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, one in two Japanese people over the age of 20 currently suffer from high blood pressure.

Green tea prevents high blood pressure

Green tea contains following ingredients that prevent high blood pressure.

Catechin

Catechins in green tea have the effect of suppressing the action of “angiotensin I converting enzyme” which causes high blood pressure.

In fact, one study found that people who drink green tea are 35% less likely to die from a stroke in men and 42% lower rates in women than those who don't drink it.

GABA

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is an ingredient that is formed by changing glutamic acid contained in tea leaves.

GABA has the function of inhibiting a substance called “noradrenaline” that constricts blood vessels, and prevents the rise of blood pressure.

Theanine

Theanine is a type of amino acid that is specific to green tea and helps prevent high blood pressure by dilating blood vessels.

Taking theanine relaxes your body and improves your blood circulation, which can be beneficial when you want to concentrate on your work or studies.

How to drink green tea to prevent high blood pressure

I will introduce how to drink green tea effectively to prevent high blood pressure.

Use hot water

Catechins, which prevent high blood pressure, have the property of being easily dissolved in hot water.

Therefore, it is possible to take in more catechins by brewing tea with hot water.

On the other hand, water makes it difficult for catechins to leach out, so if you want to get a lot of catechins, you should avoid brewing tea with water.

Choose Gyokuro or Matcha

Theanine, an ingredient that prevents high blood pressure, is contained a lot in fine teas such as Gyokuro, Matcha and high grade Sencha (steeped green tea).

This is because theanine is also an ingredient of the umami, and it is found in fine teas where the umami is important.

Brewing them with ice water will help reduce the leaching of the stimulant caffeine. So you'll feel the effects of theanine more clearly.

Choose Gabalong tea

GABA, an ingredient that prevents an increase in blood pressure, is produced by leaving raw tea leaves in an anoxic conditions for several hours.

Green tea made in this way is called “Gabalong tea”.

If you choose Gabalong tea, you can take in more GABA, so it is recommended when you are worried about your blood pressure.

Methylated catechin, an ingredient in green tea, is effective in relieving allergy and hay fever (pollen allergy).

In this article, I’m going to introduce the basic information and efficacy of methylated catechins, as well as green tea cultivars that contain a lot of methylated catechins.

Green tea health benefits: the effect of anti-allergy

Green tea has various health benefits, but some tea has an effect of anti-allergy and good effect for hay fever (pollen allergy).

Green tea has such effects because it contains an ingredient called “methylated catechins”.

What are methylated catechins?

“Methylated catechins” are a kind of catechins.

Green tea contains several kinds of catechins, such as “epigallocatechin gallate” and “epicatechin”.

Methylated catechins refer to compounds in which the “epigallocatechin gallate” contained most in green tea has changed.

Efficacy of methylated catechins

Methylated catechins have the effect of preventing the release of histamine and other substances that cause allergic symptoms.

This is because methylated catechins prevent the brain from receiving signals that trigger allergic reactions.

For example, there is even an experimental data showing that when green tea containing methylated catechins is given to animals with allergies, nasal discharge, tears, edema, etc. are improved (SAITO Kieko (2018) ‘Characteristics of Tea Catechins and Their Effective Utilization’ Agriculture and Horticulture. No.932, pp.108 -115).

In other words, if you take green tea that contains a lot of methylated catechins, you can effectively relieve allergic symptoms.

Green tea containing methylated catechins and its drinking method

Green teas that contain a lot of methylated catechins include “Benifuki”, “Benifuji” and “Benihomare”.

All of cultivars were originally developed for black tea, but when processed into black tea, methylated catechins change into other compounds.

For this reason, in order to take methylated catechins efficiently, you should buy those labeled “green tea” instead of “black tea”.

When having these green teas, it is best to brew them for about 5 minutes before drinking them to take in more methylated catechins.

Aren't methylated catechins water-soluble?

Methylated catechins are not water-soluble, so it has no effect unless you take in whole tea leaves into your body.

For this reason, most of the Benifuki available on the market as a “measure against hay fever (pollen allergy)” is made from powdered tea leaves.

Does "Yabukita" contain methylated catechins?

"Yabukita" is a representative cultivar of green tea, but it does not contain much methylated catechins.

I recommend you to choose a different tea such as "Benifuki" because you can't expect much effect on allergy and symptoms of hay fever (pollen allergy).

Green tea has a good effect for hay fever

I have introduced “methylated catechins” which are effective in alleviating the symptoms of allergies and hay fever (pollen allergy).

Why don't you have green tea containing methylated catechins in the season when you are suffering from hay fever?

Tea antioxidant effect is one of the health effects of tea. Tea can reduce the risks of Alzheimer's, rheumatism, cancers, etc. This article introduces the basic information and process of tea antioxidant effect and the types of tea that have strong antioxidants.

What are antioxidants?

The health functions of tea include antioxidant effects. Tea can prevent cancers, rheumatism, tissue aging, etc., and maintain immunity.

Mechanism of antioxidants

Let us take a brief look at the process of antioxidant activities. As you know, the human body has the natural mechanism of “inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide.” However, if this cycle stops well-functioning due to mental stress and smoking, oxygen remains in the body as “active oxygen.” Active oxygen is also called bad oxygen because it is one of the factors to damage cells and cause diseases such as rheumatism, hepatitis, and arteriosclerosis. Antioxidants play roles of preventing the generation of active oxygen, which behaves badly, and eliminating existing active oxygen.

How do antioxidants benefit the body?

Antioxidant effects are important functions so that it is said “they lead to the prevention of all diseases.” They can reduce the risks of acquiring the following diseases:

• Rheumatism
• Hepatitis
• Cancers
• Arteriosclerosis
• Alzheimer’s

*Reference: Kyoji Yoshino et al. (2017). Antioxidant Activities of Various Health Beneficial Teas. National Institute of Technology, Numazu College Research Annual.

Any of these diseases sounds scary, but you can reduce the risks of them by drinking tea. Also, antioxidants can prevent the aging of cells themselves and maintain immunity.

Tea ingredients with antioxidant activities

Among tea ingredients, “catechins” have the strongest antioxidant effect. Vitamin C and vitamin E also have antioxidants, but the antioxidant effect of catechins is several times or even dozens of times stronger than them. Catechins are unique to tea, and drinking tea benefits you with efficient antioxidant activities.

Which tea has strong antioxidants?

Now, let’s think about what kind of tea we should choose to enjoy the benefits of antioxidants more efficiently? Here are two choices:

Choice 1: Second picked tea, third picked tea

The tea picked with fresh buds is called first picked tea (Shincha). The tea picked afterward is called second picked tea, third picked tea and so on in sequence. In general, first picked tea gives off the best aroma and is considered high-graded. However, second and third picked teas have stronger antioxidants. It is because they contain a lot of catechins, which act as tea antioxidants.

The catechin content of tea leaves depends on the length of sunshine hours, so second and third picked teas, which are cropped late, contain more catechins. For this reason, it is recommended to choose these teas if your priority is antioxidants.

Choice 2: Persimmon tea, loquat tea

The research by Kyoji Yoshino’s team compared the strength of antioxidant activities of 9 kinds of commercial health beneficial teas. The results showed persimmon and loquat teas have particularly strong antioxidant activities. In contrast, Job's tears tea had weak antioxidant activities. It is written that some types of teas including green tea, rooibos tea, and ashitaba tea showed a consistent relationship between the weight and antioxidant activity strength. This means an increased amount of tea leaves actually strengthens the antioxidant activities of green tea and rooibos tea. Overall, it is recommended to choose persimmon tea or loquat tea, or you can brew tea with an excessive amount of leaves.