The World of the TEA

Deep and Wide Background of the Tea

Benefit


Flu / cold prevention

Basically, when virus attaches to the respiratory mucosa, such as the one of nose and throat, people get infected and catch a cold.
Catechins, polyphenols, and saponins contained in tea are known to have the effect for inhibiting viral infection to the human body and suppressing the severity of the infection. In addition, strynectin, a component of tea, inhibits the fusion between viral and human cell membranes after the virus gets into human cells.
Among such ingredients contained in tea, EGCG is especially said to suppress the adsorption etc. of various viruses such as influenza to human cells, and also suppress the virus growth.
In other words, various ingredients contained in tea such as EGCG, polyphenols, saponins, and strynectin inhibit many actions by virus in various ways, so drinking tea will help prevent influenza and colds.

Having examined that catechins were orally administered to mice daily for 5 days and the mice were infected with influenza virus on the 3rd day of the experiment, the survival rate of the mice was improved and the titer of the virus in the lungs was reduced by the catechins. It was found that pneumonia was alleviated. In addition, the result was also found that administration of catechin could inactivate the virus after getting into the body.

Epidemiological studies have found that drinking 1-5 cups of green tea per day / more than 6 days a week could inhibit onset of influenza.
Furthermore, it has been found that "gargling" with green tea is also effective in preventing influenza.

Immunoregulatory action

The human body has an immune function to protect itself from invading pathogens. However, it is said that imbalance in immunity may cause infectious diseases and allergic reactions. Ingredients such as catechin and theanine contained in tea have the effect of regulating such immune functions in the body.


Green Tea for Health

It is said that drinking tea has various effects because it contains various ingredients in a well-balanced manner. The effects such as “suppression of hypertension”, “prevention of diabetes”, “diet effect”, “suppression of blood cholesterol”, and “immunity enhancement "are well-known, but among them, the one with particular attention recently is “cancer prevention". Some research can show results that three ingredients are said to be effective against cancer and one of them is the ingredient of tea.

In addition, catechin (EGCG / epigallocatechin gallate), which is a component of tea, has bactericidal action, so recently it is expected to have effects such as "influenza prevention", "bad breath prevention", "cavity prevention", and "antibacterial".

Furthermore, the caffeine contained in tea is different from the one in coffee, and is said to have effects such as "inhibition of aging" and "activation of cranial nerves".

Theanine in green tea

Theanine is the source of the flavor of tea. Higher quality tea has, more theanine can be contained. Tea with top-quality such as the ones we exhibit at contests can contain the highest theanine. Experiments in which rats are given theanine show that the rats given theanine have better memory, compared to rats not given theanine.

Having examined the brain waves of humans by comparing the condition after drinking tea and after drinking water, α wave could be generated in the brain 40 minutes later drinking tea. This result can show us that "theanine" can reduce stress.

Relaxation effect from tea

It is often said that drinking tea will make you feel relaxed, and that is probably due to the positive effects of tea for "relaxing" and "reducing stress".

We think that it may already become basic for us as modern people to live more or less stressfully. Therefore, how to deal with "stresses in our daily life" is always a big issue for us in this modern society.
If drinking tea could reduce stress and relieve mental tension, thereby could improve memory and vitality, it might be expected that the efficiency for work would increase further by drinking tea after using brain toughly at a company meeting or study.

In that sense, we think green tea is an ideal drink for busy modern people, like us and also like you.