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.

Ishikawa Prefecture is famous as the birthplace of ‘Kaga- bocha’ but it is not an area where tea growing is popular. Although the production volume is extremely small, the fact that Ishikawa has a certain reputation as a tea production area is probably due to strong brand power of ‘Kaga- bocha’.

History of tea production in Ishikawa Prefecture

Ishikawa has been growing tea since the Edo period. It is said that tea growing was started by the order of the lord of Daishoji Domain in Uchikoshi Town (as of now). The tea culture in Ishikawa was greatly influenced by the fact that MAEDA Toshiie, the founder of the Kaga Domain, learned the tea ceremony directly from SEN no Rikyu. In addition to that, the tea cultivation and production methods were brought to Ishikawa from Uji, Kyoto.

It was in the middle of the Meiji period that ‘Kaga- bocha’, a well-known brand of tea in Ishikawa, was born. It was triggered by roasting the stems of tea after Sanbancha (third picking) which had been thrown away before.

However, a cold climate with short sunshine hours was not suitable for growing tea, and many tea plantations were lost in the field improvement project in the late 19th century. After that, the Uchikoshi Tea Industry and Agricultural Cooperative Association created a new tea garden to protect tea production, and only a few traditional tea gardens remain today.

Even now, the tea ceremony is popular in Ishikawa which is said to feature one of the best tea ceremonies in Japan.

Tea-growing areas in Ishikawa Prefecture

As I mentioned at the beginning, the amount of tea produced in Ishikawa is small. In the Edo period, Ishikawa was so famous as a tea production area that it offered tea to the lord of Kaga Domain, but tea is hardly produced now.

In addition to Kaga bocha, there are other types of tea such as ‘Nakai tea’ and ‘Wajima tea’ in Ishikawa, but these are also little known due to their small production volume.

Speaking of brand tea in Ishikawa prefecture, it is Kaga bocha.

Kaga-bocha

Kaga-bocha is ’Bocha’ made in Ishikawa prefecture.

Bocha is the tea made from roasted stems, not tea leaves. Kaga-bocha is especially made by roasting the stems of the first tea. It is a kind of roasted green tea, and it is said to have a unique aromatic scent.

Since the tea production in Ishikawa is very small, it is almost the case that tea wholesalers in Ishikawa purchased tea grown in other prefectures for finishing and roasting.

Kaga-bocha is registered in Ishikawa Prefecture’s certified local food, and it is a specialty of Ishikawa. It was presented to the Emperor Showa, so it deserves to be called Meicha, high-quality Japanese tea.

In 2018, Saga produced 1,270 tons of tea. It is the prefecture with the 7th share this year. It is also the No. 2 producer in terms of the production volume of Tama-ryokucha (green tea), also known as ‘Guri-cha’.

Cultivated varieties include ‘Yabukita’, ‘Saemidori’, ‘Saeakari’, ‘Sakimidori’, ‘Asatsuyu’, ‘Okuyutaka’, and ‘Okumidori’.

History of green tea production in Saga Prefecture

The green tea growing started in the Ureshino district in the southwestern part of Saga.

In 1440, Ming potters moved to Ureshino and began growing and producing green tea.

In 1504, Hong Lingmin, another Ming potter, brought the Nanjing pot along with the pottery culture and introduced the method of manufacturing Kamairicha.

The method of manufacturing Sencha(steeped green tea) was developed in the Edo period, so Kamairicha of Ureshino had already been produced before Sencha spread in Japan.

Ureshino became a major production area in the early Edo period, when YOSHIMURA Shinbei of the Saga clan cut open the Ureshino forest, improved the method of manufacturing the Nanjing pot, and promoted the green tea industry, which greatly expanded the amount of cultivation.

At the end of the Edo period, Ureshino tea was exported by OURA Kei, a woman trader in Nagasaki.

This is considered to be the first tea trade by the private sector, and it was 100 years before the port of Yokohama was opened and Japanese tea was officially exported.

Tea-growing areas in Saga Prefecture

There are many green tea growing areas in Saga Prefecture, including Takeo City, Imari City, Shioda Town, and Kitahata Village. Ureshino City is the most famous for its tea production.

Ureshino tea

Ureshino tea is made mainly in Ureshino city in the southwestern part of Saga prefecture.

The Ureshino tea region is located in a gentle mountain area with a thick fog, and is suitable for growing green tea due to its warm climate and the duration of sunlight. The temperature difference in the morning and evening makes the green tea mild and gives it fragrance and richness.

Tama-ryokucha (green tea) is made in Ureshino.

Usually, tea leaves are straightened out, but the tea leaves of Tama-ryokucha have a unique rounded, curved shape (like a comma-shaped bead). It is also called ‘Guri-cha’,

Depending on the manufacturing method, there are ‘Steamed Tama-ryokucha’ and ‘Roasted Tama-ryokucha’. ‘Steamed Tama-ryokucha’ is made by steaming tea leaves and ‘Roasted Tama-ryokucha’ is made by roasting tea leaves.

Most of Ureshino tea is ‘Steamed Tama-ryokucha’.

In 2018, Miyazaki produced 3,800 tons of tea. It is the prefecture that boasts the 4th largest production in Japan, accounting for about 5% of the total production this year.

Most of the green tea produced in Miyazaki is Sencha(steeped green tea), which accounts for about 80% of the total production.

Although their tea production volume is small, Miyazaki is famous for Kamairicha. In addition, in so far as the production volume of Kamairicha is the largest in Japan.

Cultivated varieties include ‘Yabukita’, ‘Saemidori’, ‘Yumekaori’, ‘Sakimidori’ and ‘Harumoegi’.

History of tea production in Miyazaki Prefecture

It is said that people in Miyazaki have had Yamacha (native tea bush) which grows wild in mountainous areas since old days.

Records related to green tea have been kept since the 1600s. At that time, tea was used for tribute and property tax.

It was after Meiji period (1868-1912) that tea was made in Miyazaki in earnest.

The method of manufacturing Kamairicha, which was also used for Yamacha, and Sencha(steeped green tea), which came from Uji, had spread throughout Miyazaki.

The method of manufacturing Kamairicha was brought from Korea around 1600. It is said that in 1751, IKEDA Sadaki, a doctor of Miyakonojo Shimazu Domain, learned the method of manufacturing green tea from Uji and passed it on to Miyazaki.

From the end of Taisho period (1912-1926) to the beginning of Showa period (1926-1989), Miyazaki prefecture promoted tea industry, and the foundation of manufacturing tea was completed.

In the Showa 40s (1965 -1974), the area of tea gardens and production volume, which had decreased due to the War, recovered.

After that, the area of tea gardens tended to decrease until around 1998, but from around 1999, both of the area of tea gardens and production volume of tea gradually increased. In recent years, Miyazaki has been striving to be a ‘Japan's best tea producing area’ and growing high quality tea, with good results in the National Tea Fair.

Tea-growing areas in Miyazaki Prefecture

Miyazaki Prefecture is suitable for growing green tea because of its mild climate, fertile land and rainfall.

Green tea is produced in wide areas ranging from coastal areas to mountainous areas at an altitude of 700 meters.

Takachiho tea

Takachiho tea is made in the mountainous area around Takachiho Town in the northwestern part of Miyazaki Prefecture.

Most of Takachiho tea is Kamairicha. The production volume of Kamairicha, which is made by roasting freshly harvested tea leaves in the iron pot instead of steaming, is less than 1% of the total production volume in Japan. However, most of Kamairicha is made in Kyushu, and about 60% of it is produced in Miyazaki.

Takachiho tea has a clear gold color, and you can enjoy its unique fragrant aroma called Kamaka and refreshing taste.

In 2017, Nara produced 1,730 tons of tea, making it the 7th largest tea-producing prefecture of the year.

The green tea produced in Nara is collectively called ‘Yamato tea’ and it produces Kabusecha, Sencha(steeped green tea), Bancha and Tencha.

History of tea production in Nara Prefecture

Kobo Daishi (Kukai) was involved in origin of the tea growing in Nara Prefecture.

In 806, Kobo Daishi brought back tea seeds from Tang dynasty and gave them to his disciple Kenne, who is said to have planted those seeds in Butsuryu-ji temple.

It is also said that Kobo Daishi brought back a chausu (stone tea grinding mill) from Tang at that time, and that chausu is still kept at Butsuryu-ji.

After that, the tea culture spread mainly in temples, and in the Muromachi period, ‘wabicha’ was born by MURATA Juko, who was a master of tea ceremony from Nara. ‘Wabicha’ a tea ceremony that values the spirit of ‘wabi’ (traditional Japanese aesthetics) led to the tea ceremony that was later completed by SEN no Rikyu and to the modern tea ceremony.

Nara is not only blessed with natural conditions, but also has a history of spreading and developing green tea due to the relationship with Buddhism as there are many temples, making it a rare tea production area in Japan.

Tea-growing areas in Nara Prefecture

Yamato tea is mainly grown in the Yamato highland area in the northeastern part of Nara Prefecture.

Yamato Plateau is a cool mountain area stretching across Nara City, Tenri City, Sakurai City and Uda City, and is a very suitable area for growing good quality tea because of its short daylight hours and large temperature difference in the morning and evening.

Because of the short hours of sunlight, tea grows slowly, and the leaves are rich in nutrients due to the temperature difference.

Among them, ‘Tsukigase tea’ made in Tsukigase, Nara City, is one of the well-known brands of Japanese tea.

Tsukigase Tea

Tsukigase is known not only as a green tea production area but also as a production area of high quality soil and a famous plum blossom spot.

Tsukigase is a mountainous region where green tea is cultivated, and it is said that tea harvest time is one of the latest in Japan.

The Shincha(First picked tea)is usually harvested around May 2nd, but Tsukigase tea grows slowly because it is grown in cool areas, and the first harvest may be in June. There is a big difference from Kagoshima where the harvest starts in early April.

About 80% of tea grown in Tsukigase is Kabuse-cha, which is characterized by its rich umami flavor.

Fukuoka is the fifth largest green tea producing region.

The production was 1,890 tons in 2019, which was approximately 2.2% of the total domestic green tea production.

It cultivates green tea leaves such as“Yabukita”, “Kanayamidori”, “Okumidori”, “Saemidori”and “Yamakai”

It produces a variety of green tea like Sencha, Kabusecha, Gyokuro, Bancha, and Kamairicha. Particularly, Fukuoka is known as an excellent high-end tea producing area whose production is the most in Japan.

The history of tea production in Fukuoka Prefecture

The green tea cultivation in Fukuoka originated in Yame located in the southwest area.

Reigenji in Chikugonokuni Kozumagun Kanokomura (currently Kurokimachi Kasahara) and planted tea leaves brought from China.

In around the same period of time, it is said that he taught the village headman Matuso Taro Goro Hisaie how to cultivate and produce Kamairicha. This is the origin of Green tea cultivation/production in Fukuoka.

In the middle of the Edo period, a small amount of Kamairicha got distributed to Kyoto and Osaka from Yame. However, the majority was distributed in Kurume district as the production of Kamairicha was very small at that time.

The current cultivar of Gyokuro which is Yamecha’s greatest specialty was first produced in the Meiji era. A monk Takita Oken of the temple Kiyomizudera in Yamato gun (currently Miyama) built a training place to teach methods of cultivating and producing Gyokuro, which resulted in the spread of Gyokuro production.

On the other hand, the export share of Kamairicha dropped sharply due to the prohibition against the poor quality tea export issued by the US. Later, the produce of Kamairicha gradually reduced in the domestic market, while steamed green tea became more popular than Kamairicha.

Later, as the manufacture of green tea developed in the Taisho era, many local green tea brands got merged into the brand “Yamecha” that is led to the present Yamecha

Tea-growing areas in Fukuoka Prefecture

90% of green tea cultivation areas of Fukuoka are located in Yame district, and all the green tea leaves cultivated in the areas are called “Yamecha”

Yame tea

Yamecha is tea leaves produced in the southwest areas in Fukuoka such as Yame, Chikugo and Hirokawa located next to Yame.

Green tea (Sencha) is mainly produced and Gyokuro is also produced in mountain areas.

Yame is one of the largest producers of Gyokuro in Japan, and Yame Gyokuro is highly rated as it has been prize-winning for 19 years in a row at the domestic competitive tea exhibition. Yame Gyokuro is one of the most valuable teas in japan as well as its production and quality.

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Do you know what kind of ingredients Hojicha contains?

Hojicha is created by heating green tea leaves and stems, and the ingredients are changed through this process.

How do that brown color, roasted aroma and the unique taste stand out with astringency and bitterness are created?

Let’s see what’s contained in your cup of Hojicha!

The Ingredients of Black Tea

The most unique feature of Hojicha is roasting. By roasting, the aroma is added, and also the taste become clear and smooth.

Of course, the ingredients also changed before and after processing.

Caffeine

Maybe, some of you have heard that Hojicha doesn’t contain caffeine. However, it’s not true.

Caffeine sublimates with high temperature, but its sublimation point is 178℃. During the process of Hojicha, it is heated to around 200℃, so some of Hojicha is heated to below the sublimation point. That’s why caffeine remains in Hojicha, in that case the same amount of caffeine as black tea and green tea remains as well.

Catechin

Catechin is a one of polyphenols and also called as tannin. It is a typical ingredients of tea, the astringency taste is coming from catechin.

Because catechin doesn’t break by heating, Hojicha has almost same amount of catechin as green tea. 

Melanoidin

Hojicha has an unique brown water color, it is caused by melanoidin.

This ingredients don’t exist in fresh leaves and other tea, but exist in Hojicha because this ingredients are created by maillard reaction, which is the chemical reaction with amino acids and sugars by heating.

Saponin

Saponin is also an ingredients that consist the bitterness of the tea, but the amount is quite small. Because saponin has a property as a surfactant, it causes tea to foam.

The amount is too small to expect the saponin’s effect, but it is a constitution of bitter taste of Hojicha.

Amino acid

Amino acids are the ingredients that consist umami of the tea.

There are some kinds such as theanine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, arginine, serine etc… in particular, theanine occupies about 50% of total amino acid, and is typical ingredients of tea.

In case of Hojicha, the total amount of amino acid is smaller than green tea because amino acids turn into melanoidin by maillard reaction. In addition to this, 2nd or 3rd flush tea leaves are usually used for Hojicha, therefore the initial amount of amino acids is smaller than green tea.

Pyrazine(Aroma Component)

Roasted aroma is one of the most unique features of Hojicha, and it is caused by pyrazine.

This is also an ingredient created by maillard reaction, and is also exist on other roasted food.

Pyrazine mostly consist of the roasted aroma of Hojicha.

Vitamin

Fresh tea leaves contain a lot of vitaminA,C,E,B and so on. However, they are oxidized and changed to other ingredients during the heating process of tea leaves, almost no vitamins remain in Hojicha leaves.

Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is contained in fresh tea leaves, and also Hojicha leaves because it doesn’t destroyed by heating. However, chlorophyll is fat-soluble ingredient, only little chlorophyll extract in the tea.  

Many ingredients are contained in Hojicha

Like this, the taste, aroma and color is consisted from many ingredients. In particular, Hojicha ingredients are very unique since the process of heating, and the health benefit is also different with other types of tea.

If you want to know about the health benefits of Hojicha, let’s check this article.

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What is the most important thing to brew a nice tea?

There are many points to care about, such as the extraction time, the amount of tea leaves and water, but I think it is temperature.

Tea can be super nice or ruined easily by the temperature. If you know the relationship between tea and temperature, you can enjoy one tea in various ways.

Today, we are talking about tea and temperature to enjoy tea more than now.

The best temperature to brew a nice tea

I imagine that you wanna ask me “What is the best temperature for making tea?” 

The answer I can only say is ”It depends.”

Difference of ingredients and tastes depends on the type of tea.

For example, we often brew Gyokuro with 50-60℃ water to bring out rich umami and sweatness, while we use boiled water(about 95 ℃) for Black tea and Oolong tea to bring out the bitterness and astringency and rich aroma.

Is that tea with plenty of umami or a well-balanced astringent taste?

If you know the characters of the tea, and also how do you want to drink that tea, the best temperature for the tea will be determined by itself.

The link between tea and temperature

Black tea, Oolong tea, and Sencha have different ingredients, brewing way changes slightly, but you only have to remember two points.

• Umami is easier to extract at lower temperatures
• Bitterness and Astringency are extracted at high temperatures

In short, bitterness and astringency will be strong at high temperatures, sweetness and umami will be strong at low temperatures.

60 degrees : if you want to taste the rich umami of tea.

70 degrees : to bring out the bitter and astringent potential of tea.

80 degrees : or higher, a lot of Caffeine is extracted, so it is good when you want to concentrate on something.

It may be more easier to understand the link between the ingredients of tea and the temperature.

Tea ingredients and brewing temperature

Umami is consisted from amino acids.

Theanine, Aspartic acid, Glutamic acid, etc ... Tea leaves contain about 15 different amino acids, and "Theanine" occupied about 50% of it.

These components can be extracted even at low temperatures with long time. It can be extracted at 50-60 degrees like Gyokuro, and also it can be extracted with cold water if you take enough time (2~3 hours, depends on tea)

On the other hand, bitterness is consisted from Catechin and Caffeine.

These components do not extract much at low temperatures, and rapidly extract at high temperatures. The amount of extraction increases from around 80 degrees, so when tea is brewed at high temperatures, the bitterness and astringency exceeds the umami of amino acids.

At low temperature or cold-brew, the bitterness and astringency will not extracted a lot, and only umami and sweetness will stand out.

For Black tea and Oolong tea, high temperature water is more suitable because these type of tea are characterized by rich aroma and astringency. They have less amino acids than Sencha, and also the fragrance comes out more with higher temperature.

The Best Temperature for Tea

Let’s think again about ”the best temperature to make tea”.

When you look at the packages of the tea, sometimes there are guidance for temperature and extraction time. Of course, you can make a delicious brew in that way, but if you know the story so far, you should be able to brew tea as you want.

If you want a refreshing tea, let’s brew “Asatsuyu”, one of the variety of Japanese tea, with high temperature. You can enjoy strong bitterness and astringency with clear taste.

If the tea is for your guest, let’s use the the water about 50 degrees, to maximize the umami of the tea. 

It is also the way to enjoy tea that brewing in many way depends on the scenes and your preference.

We introduce our recommended way to brew for each variety of the tea on each product pages. Please try to find the best way while referring to it.

Key for brewing nice tea is temperature

The flavor of tea will change drastically by changing the temperature. 

Enjoy the various tea flavors while remembering today's stories.

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?